': 


HISTORY  OF 
ST.  PATRICK'S  CATHEDRAL 


M 


ST.    PATRICK'S       CATHEDRAL 
NEW    YORK,     1858. 


History  of 
St.  Patrick's  Cathedral 


By 

MOST  REV.  JOHN  M.  FARLEY,  D.D. 

Archbishop  of  New  York 


g& 


"And  call  to  remembrance  the  works 
of  the  fathers  which  they  have  done  in 
their  generations." — /  Mach.,ii.^i. 


SSt 


Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith 

Archdiocese  of  New  York 

462  Madison  Avenue,  New  York  City 


LOAN  STACK 


Copyright,  1908,   by   the  Society   for   the  Propagation   of  the  Faith, 
New   York  City. 


/MM 


PREFACE. 


Old  St.  Peter's,  the  old  and  the  new  Cathedrals,  are 
the  great  landmarks  of  our  local  Catholic  history.  Old 
St.  Peter's  was  the  scene  of  the  Church's  struggle  for 
existence.  In  old  St.  Patrick's  the  problem  of  her 
co-existence  with  the  new  Republic  was  successfully- 
adjusted.  .  The  new  Cathedral  commemorates  her 
triumph  and  marvelous  growth. 

In  1785  there  were  in  this  city  but  two  hundred 
Catholics  under  one  priest.  They  were  Irish  and 
French,  German  and  Italian,  Spanish  and  Scotch,  Eng- 
lish and  Portuguese,  few  in  number,  poor  in  resources, 
divided  by  racial  differences,  but  united  by  love  of  their 
adopted  country,  of  its  political  ideals,  above  all,  by 
love  of  their  Church.  At  their  express  wish,  the  first 
Catholic  temple  in  this  city  was  dedicated  to  the  Prince 
of  the  Apostles.  They  established  the  church  of  New 
York  on  the  "Rock,"  and  nowhere  are  the  foundations 
of  Catholicity  more  solidly  laid  than  in  this  Metropoli- 
tan See.  They  also  have  the  honor  of  opening  the  first 
free  school  in  the  State  six  years  before  any  public 
school  was  started. 

In  1808,  this  See  was  erected,  and  comprised  the  en- 
tire State  of  New  York  and  the  eastern  part  of  New 
Jersey.  There  were  13,000  Catholics  in  the  city,  16,000 
in  the  whole  Diocese,  with  one  church,  one  parochial 
school,  and  three  priests.  Bishop  Connolly  arrived  in 
1815,  and  for  some  time  had  but  one  priest  to  minister 
in  his  vast  Diocese.  At  his  death,  1825,  there  were  18 
priests,  8  churches,  and  150,000  Catholics.   Bishop  Du- 


1Hi 


vi  PREFACE 

bois  added  18  priests  and  8  churches.  The  Diocese  had 
124  priests  when  the  Sees  of  Albany  and  Buffalo  were 
created  in  1847,  and  113  priests  when  Brooklyn  and 
Newark  were  erected  in  1853.  The  Catholic  popula- 
tion, in  1854,  numbered  250,000. 

Meanwhile,  in  the  old  Cathedral,  the  difficult  problem 
of  the  Church's  co-existence  with  the  adverse  elements 
of  the  New  World  was  being  solved,  but  not  without 
many  a  hard  blow  "scalpri  frequentis  ictibus  et  tunsione 
pluritna."  Within  the  fold,  trusteeism  threatened  to 
undermine  discipline  in  matters  spiritual  and  temporal ; 
without,  persistent  bigotry  assailed  everything  Catholic, 
and  engendered  the  Native  American  and  Know  nothing 
movements.  In  the  pulpit  of  old  St.  Patrick's  worthy 
defenders  of  the  faith  met  every  attack,  and  prejudice 
was  compelled  to  retreat  under  the  logic  and  eloquence 
of  Levins  and  Taylor,  of  Pise,  Power,  and  the  gifted 
Father  Burke,  of  Archbishop  Hughes  and  Cardinal 
McCloskey. 

Trusteeism  succumbed  to  the  young  Bishop  Hughes, 
who  knew  that  the  hearts  of  the  people  were  right, 
if  their  heads  went  astray  for  a  while.  The  fearless 
prelate,  having  formed  his  flock  into  a  compact  body, 
challenged  and  routed  the  Native  American  and  Know- 
nothing  disturbers,  and  convinced  the  nation  that  alle- 
giance to  the  Republic  was  eminently  consistent  with 
loyalty  to  the  Church. 

The  new  Cathedral  commemorates  the  victory  of  the 
Church  in  New  York  and  her  wonderful  development. 
Rochester  was  made  a  separate  See  in  1868,  Ogdens- 
burg  in  1872,  Trenton  in  1881,  and  Syracuse  in  1886. 
Within  the  original  limits  of  this  See,  there  are  to-day  an 
Archbishop,  eight  suffragan  and  two  auxiliary  Bishops, 


PREFACE  vii 

1,546  churches,  2,710  priests,  583  parochial  schools 
with  251,383  pupils  and  a  Catholic  population  of 
3,162,309,  well  provided  with  institutions  of  charity 
and  of  higher  education. 

This  material  progress  is  the  manifestation  of  that 
spiritual  growth  which  springs  from  the  presence  of 
Christ  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Church.  Immigra- 
tion, and  conversions,  of  which  there  are  5,000  yearly, 
have  been  important  factors  in  our  rapid  increase.  In 
the  pioneer  days,  our  forefathers  sought  aid  from 
France  and  Spain,  from  Cuba,  Mexico,  and  Ireland. 
To-day  this  Diocese  alone  contributes  to  the  foreign 
missions  $70,000  yearly.  In  the  political,  social,  com- 
mercial, and  intellectual  life  of  the  community,  the 
Church  labors  strenuously  for  justice  and  charity,  for 
honesty  in  business  and  public  office,  for  the  sanctity  of 
the  family,  for  lofty  moral  standards  in  literature  and 
art,  for  law  and  order.  The  Cathedral  for  half  a  cen- 
tury has  been  an  object  lesson  of  the  highest  art  for  all 
our  fellow-citizens. 

Others  have  labored  and  we  have  entered  into  their 
labors.  It  seems  proper  that  we  should  "call  to  re- 
membrance the  works  of  the  fathers  which  they  have 
done  in  their  generations."  They  have  left  us  a  goodly 
inheritance.  It  is  our  duty  to  transmit  that  inheritance 
intact  under  the  guidance  of  Peter  and  the  patronage 
of  St.  Patrick  to  posterity. 

"Funes  ceciderunt  tnihi  in  praeclaris:  etenim  here- 
ditas  mea  praeclara  est  miki." 


The  Feast  of  St.  Patrick, 
March  17,  1908. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  a  country  where  we  are  constantly  reminded  by 
the  leaders  of  education  to  accept  nothing  but  what 
we  can  establish  by  personal  research,  where  the  minds 
of  public  men  are  generally  so  fair  and  open,  it  is 
amazing  to  read,  in  a  recent  work  on  Old  New  York, 
this  absurd  statement: 

At  Fiftieth  Street  and  Fifth  Avenue  is  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral,  the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  in  1858. 
The  entire  block  on  which  it  stands  was,  the  preced- 
ing year,  given  to  the  Roman  Catholics  for  a  nominal 
sum — one  dollar — by  the  city.* 

The  vitality  of  this  long-lived  lie  is  all  the  more 
astonishing  when  we  consider  that  it  has  been  repeat- 
edly disproved  by  Protestant,  as  well  as  by  Catholic 
writers.  In  the  New  York  Journal  of  Commerce, 
June,  1882,  Colonel  William  L.  Stone,  a  non-Catholic, 
printed  an  exhaustive  article  on  the  title  of  the  Cathe- 
dral property  :f 

We  have  several  times  replied  to  questions  con- 
cerning the  acquisition  of  the  land  upon  which  stands 
the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  on  Fifth  Avenue.  It 
has  been  a  very  common  impression  that  the  property 
was  acquired  without  due  consideration,  and  although 
we  have  contradicted  this  several  times  in  our  paper, 
the  accusation  is  still  repeated,  showing  that  the  re- 
port   is    circulated    by   persons    who    are    prejudiced 

*  Nooks  and  Corners  of  Old  New  York,  by  Charles  Hemstreet,  1905, 
p.  203. 

t  T.  F.  Meehan  in  The  Catholic  News,  Feb.  1,  1908,  reproduces 
complete  report;   also  Catholic  Review,  July  15,   1882. 


x  INTRODUCTION 

against  the  present  owners.  Wishing  to  furnish  an 
exhaustive  reply  to  an  inquiry  recently  sent  us,  we 
asked  Franklin  H.  Churchill,  Esq.,  attorney  and  coun- 
sellor-at-law,  who  had  searched  the  title,  to  give  us  a 
full  history  of  the  several  transfers.  His  reply  has 
been  made  at  considerable  length,  but  we  can  not  well 
abridge  it  without  lessening  its  interest,  and  we  there- 
fore give  it  in  full  to  our  readers. 

Colonel  Stone  published  Mr.  Churchill's  entire  re- 
port, which  corresponds  exactly  with  that  of  Mr.  Beek- 
man,  which  we  reproduce  below.  Mr.  Churchill,  how- 
ever, in  spite  of  his  personal  investigation  and  lucid 
exposition  of  the  facts,  did  not  succeed  in  correcting 
the  false  impression.  In  our  local  annals  there  is  no 
more  flagrant  example  of  how  difficult  it  is  to  kill  a  lie, 
especially  when  begotten  of  prejudice  and  bigotry, 
than  this  persistent  accusation  against  the  large  and 
representative  body  of  Catholic  citizens.  Again,  in 
1893,  Mr.  John  D.  Crimmins  requested  a  distinguished 
lawyer,  Henry  R.  Beekman,  to  institute  a  thorough 
examination  of  the  title  to  the  Cathedral  property, 
and  we  submit  the  result  of  Mr.  Beekman's  investiga- 
tions to  all  fair-minded  citizens,  in  the  hope  that  it  may 
eradicate  this  vestige  of  bigotry  from  the  pages  of  our 
local  history. 

Legal  Opinion  of  Henry  R.  Beekman  on  Title  to 
Cathedral  Land. 

New  York,  October  23,  1893. 
Hon.  John  D.  Crimmins: 

For  many  years  the  statement  has  been  made  from 
time  to  time  in  the  public  prints  and  elsewhere  that 
the  land  on  Fifth  Avenue,  between  Fiftieth  and  Fifty- 
first   Streets,  upon  which   St.   Patrick's   Cathedral  is 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

erected,  was  a  gift  to  that  church  from  the  city,  or 
had  been  acquired  in  some  way,  without  adequate  con- 
sideration, through  the  partiality  of  the  officers  of 
the  city. 

The  natural  effect  of  the  constant  reiteration  of  this 
statement  has  been  to  inspire  a  general  belief  in  its 
truth  and  a  feeling  on  the  part  of  many  that  an  inde- 
fensible use  has  been  made  of  the  public  property. 

That  such  a  belief  is  prejudicial  to  the  Church  which 
the  Cathedral  represents  is  so  apparent  that  no  excuse 
can  be  necessary  for  the  desire  on  the  part  of  those 
belonging  to  it  that  the  facts  which  support  the  title 
to  the  land  in  question  should  be  fully  stated.  In 
response,  therefore,  to  your  request  that  I  should 
examine  the  records  which  show  how  this  property 
was  acquired  by  the  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral, and  advise  you  whether  there  is  any  foundation 
for  the  statement  above  referred  to,  I  take  pleasure 
in  laying  before  you  the  following  results  of  my  ex- 
amination : 

In  1796,  Casimir  T.  Goerck  laid  out  what  were 
known  as  the  common  lands  belonging  to  the  Mayor, 
Aldermen,  and  Commonalty  of  the  city  of  New  York 
into  blocks  bounded  on  the  north  and  south  by  un- 
named streets,  sixty  feet  in  width.  The  property  in 
question  forms  a  part  of  Block  No.  62  on  said  map, 
which  in  1799  was  conveyed  by  the  Mayor,  Aldermen, 
and  Commonalty  of  the  city  of  New  York  to  one 
Robert  Lylburn  for  the  sum  of  £405  and  a  perpetual 
quit  rent  of  "four  bushels  of  good  merchantable  wheat 
or  the  value  thereof  in  gold  or  silver  coin  of  lawful 
money  of  the  State  of  New  York,  payable  on  May 
1st  of  each  and  every  year."  The  deed  also  contained 
a  right  of  re-entry,  should  the  quit  rent  not  be  paid. 
The  legal  effect  of  this  conveyance  was  to  vest  in  Lyl- 
burn the  title  in  fee  to  said  premises,  subject  to  for- 
feiture if  the  quit  rent  should  not  be  paid.  The  prop- 
erty was  conveyed  by  Lylburn  in  1810  to  Francis 
Thompson  and  Thomas  Cadle,  who  in  turn  sold  it  to 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

Andrew  Morris  and  Cornelius  Heeney,  by  whom  it 
was  mortgaged  in  1810  to  the  Eagle  Fire  Company 
of  New  York,  and  in  1821  conveyed  to  one  Dennis 
Doyle,  subject  to  said  mortgage. 

The  Eagle  Fire  Company  having  instituted  proceed- 
ings for  the  foreclosure  of  the  mortgage,  the  property 
was,  by  the  decree  of  the  Court  of  Chancery,  sold  at 
public  auction  and  was  purchased  on  such  sale  by 
Francis  Cooper,  to  whom  it  was  accordingly  conveyed 
on  November  12,  1828,  by  Christian  L.  Grim,  a  mas- 
ter of  Chancery. 

By  deed,  dated  January  30,  1829,  and  recorded  in 
the  Register's  Office  in  this  city  in  Liber  248  of  Con- 
veyances, page  71,  Francis  Cooper  conveyed  the  same 
property  to  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  the 
city  of  New  York.  The  recitals  in  this  deed  state  that 
just  prior  to  the  sale  in  the  foreclosure  proceedings, 
Francis  Cooper,  Peter  Duffy,  Cornelius  Heeney,  Gar- 
ret Byrne,  and  Hugh  Sweeney,  acting  on  behalf  of 
the  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  and  St.  Peter's 
Church,  had  selected  the  property  in  question  for  a 
burial-ground,  and  had  designated  Francis  Cooper  to 
attend  the  sale  and  bid  for  the  property ;  that  the  pur- 
chase was  accordingly  made  by  Cooper  for  $5,550, 
which  money,  as  well  as  an  additional  sum  of  $51.53, 
exacted  by  the  master  of  Chancery  for  interest,  was 
paid  in  equal  parts  by  the  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral  and  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  and 
that  the  property  was  purchased  by  Cooper  and  the 
title  thereto  taken  by  him  for  these  two  corporations 
which  had  advanced  the  purchase  money.  It  was  ac- 
cordingly conveyed  to  them. 

Thus  the  title  to  the  property  became  vested  in  these 
two  bodies  by  purchase  at  public  auction  for  a  sub- 
stantial consideration,  and  some  thirty  years  after  the 
city  of  New  York  had  parted  with  its  title. 

About  1811  a  new  plan  of  streets  and  avenues  was 
adopted  by  the  city,  which  differed  from  the  one  de- 
vised by  Goerck  in  1796,  and  the  result  was  that  the 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

city  and  the  grantees  of  adjoining  portions  of  the  com- 
mon lands  it  had  sold  found  themselves  in  many  cases 
with  parcels  of  land  cut  off  from  a  frontage  on  the 
new  streets  by  strips,  in  some  cases  not  more  than  a 
few  inches  in  width.  To  remedy  this  mischief,  a  gen- 
eral plan  of  adjustment  of  boundaries  was  authorized 
by  the  Common  Council,  which  involved  an  exchange 
of  these  strips  between  the  city  and  its  grantees  so  as 
to  give  each  full  blocks  bounded  by  the  new  streets. 

In  the  case  under  consideration  the  situation  was  as 
follows:  The  trustees  of  the  Cathedral  and  of  St. 
Peter's  Church  owned  a  strip  of  land  extending  along 
the  northerly  side  of  Fifty-first  Street,  being  four  feet, 
eight  inches  at  Fourth  Avenue  and  tapering  to  a  point 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Fifty-first 
Street.  The  balance  of  the  block  between  Fifty- 
first  and  Fifty-second  Street  was  owned  by  the  city, 
which  was  thus  shut  off  from  any  frontage  on  Fifty- 
first  Street. 

On  the  other  hand  the  city  owned  a  strip  of  land 
extending  along  the  northerly  side  of  Fiftieth  Street, 
being  five  feet,  six  inches  wide  at  Fourth  Avenue  and 
ten  inches  wide  at  Fifth  Avenue,  thus  excluding  the 
trustees  of  the  Cathedral  and  of  St.  Peter's  from  any 
frontage  on  Fiftieth  Street.  As  in  numerous  other 
similar  cases,  an  exchange  of  these  small  strips  so 
nearly  equal  in  area  was  made  between  the  city  and 
the  trustees  in  1852,  by  which  each  secured  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  full  frontage  on  a  street  from  which  it 
had  been  excluded. 

The  exchange  in  question  was  fair,  and  was  made  in 
pursuance  of  a  general  plan  and  in  no  respect  different 
from  a  large  number  of  other  cases  of  a  like  character. 

During  all  of  the  time  which  had  elapsed  since  the 
original  grant  to  Lylburn,  the  property  continued  sub- 
ject to  the  annual  payment  to  the  city  of  the  quit  rent 
of  four  bushels  of  wheat  or  their  equivalent  in  current 
money.     The  city  had  made  a  large  number  of  grants 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

of  other  property,  reserving  similar  quit  rents,  which 
were  perpetual  in  their  character. 

Subsequently,  however,  it  inaugurated  the  policy  of 
commuting  these  quit  rents  for  a  lump  sum  and  re- 
leasing the  property  affected  from  the  charge  of  fu- 
ture payments.  Doubtless  it  was  found  that  these 
charges  materially  interfered  with  the  subdivision  and 
sale  of  the  property,  and  consequently  tended  seriously 
to  impede  the  growth  of  the  city. 

In  pursuance  of  this  policy  the  quit  rent  in  question 
— four  bushels  of  wheat — was  capitalized  at  $83.32, 
which  sum  was  paid  to  the  city  by  the  trustees,  and 
the  release,  customary  in  such  cases,  was  made  to  them 
by  the  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commonalty  of  the  city 
of  New  York,  by  deed  dated  November  11,  1852,  and 
recorded  in  the  Register's  Office  in  Liber  620  of  Con- 
veyances, page  364.  The  sum  so  paid  represents  a 
capitalization  at  six  per  cent.,  taking  a  bushel  of  wheat 
at  $1.25,  and  certainly  appears  to  have  been  both  suffi- 
cient in  itself  and  conformable  to  the  general  rule 
adopted  by  the  city  at  that  time  in  similar  cases. 

Subsequently  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  con- 
veyed their  interest  to  the  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral,  who  thus  became  sole  owners  of  the  prop- 
erty. 

From  the  examination  of  the  title  thus  made,  these 
facts  indisputably  appear: 

1st.  That  the  bulk  of  the  property  in  question  had 
been  sold  and  conveyed  by  the  city  for  a  valuable  con- 
sideration some  thirty  years  before  it  was  purchased 
by  the  Cathedral  and  St.  Peter's  Church  at  public  auc- 
tion under  a  title  derived  through  several  intermediate 
owners  from  the  original  grantee  of  the  city. 

2d.  That  the  rest  of  the  property,  consisting  of  a 
slender  strip  bordering  on  the  north  side  of  Fiftieth 
Street,  five  feet,  six  inches  wide  on  Fourth  Avenue, 
and  ten  inches  wide  on  Fifth  Avenue,  was  obtained  by 
grant  from  the  city,  but  in  exchange  for  a  similar  strip 
on  the  south  side  of  Fifty-first  Street  which  was  con- 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

veyed  by  the  Cathedral  and  St.  Peter's  Church  to  the 
city — a  full  equivalent  and  a  transaction  as  beneficial 
to  the  city  as  to  the  Cathedral. 

3d.  That  the  quit  rent  of  four  bushels  of  wheat  re- 
served in  the  original  grant  to  Lylburn  in  1799  was 
released  by  the  city  upon  the  payment  by  the  Cathe- 
dral of  a  lump  sum  in  commutation,  amounting  to 
$83.32,  which  represented  a  correct  and  fair  capitaliza- 
tion, at  the  time,  of  the  rent  in  question. 

In  all  of  the  above  transactions  the  dealings  of  the 
city  with  the  Cathedral  differed  in  no  wise  from  a 
large  number  of  similar  ones  had  by  the  city  with 
other  owners  of  portions  of  its  common  lands,  and  it 
\is  apparent  upon  the  face  of  the  facts  as  I  have  de- 
tailed them,  that  the  criticisms  which  have  been  passed 
upon  the  method  of  acquisition  by  the  Cathedral  of 
its  property  are  wholly  without  foundation  or  justifica- 
tion. 

Yours  very  truly, 
(Signed)  Henry  R.  Beekman. 

Some  observations  of  Mr.  Churchill  may  serve  to 
explain  how  such  an  unjust  charge  could  have  had 
even  the  semblance  of  a  foundation:  "In  order  to 
remove  some  confusion  of  ideas  which  may  exist  and 
doubts  which  may  remain,  in  spite  of  the  facts  which 
have  been  stated,  it  may  be  well  to  say  that  the  prop- 
erty occupied  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum, 
between  Fifty-first  and  Fifty-second  Streets  and 
Fourth  and  Fifth  Avenues,  was  granted  and  leased  by 
the  city  for  nominal  considerations.  Such  also  is  the 
case  as  respects  the  Foundling  Asylum  and  St.  Jo- 
seph's Industrial  Home.  If  there  is  any  question 
whether  it  is  proper  that  the  city  should  make  gratui- 
tous grants  and  leases  to  institutions  engaged  in  works 
of  charity,  it  must  be  remembered  that  sixteen  other 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

institutions,  mostly  conducted  in  the  exclusive  interest 
of  various  Protestant  denominations,  but  including  one 
Jewish  institution,  and  two  or  three  hospitals  having 
no  religious  character,  have  received  and  now  enjoy 
similar  grants  or  leases." 

"A  more  impartial  witness,"  writes  Mr.  Meehan, 
"to  the  details  of  the  purchase  could  hardly  be  secured 
than  The  Journal  of  Commerce,  which  for  generations 
has  been  New  York's  leading  commercial  organ.  Col- 
onel Stone,  as  will  be  remembered,  was,  during  a  long 
and  honored  career  as  an  editor,  regarded  as  among 
the  foremost  of  our  public-spirited  citizens  and  leaders 
of  public  opinion." 


CONTENTS. 

Preface , 

PAGE 
.  .  .  .         V 

Introduction 

...      ix 

PART  I. 
Old  St.  Peter's  (1785-1815). 

CHAPTER  I. 

Beginnings  of  St.  Peter's 

Rev.  Ferdinand  Farmer,  S.J.,  Founder  of  First 
Congregation  in  New  York. — The  Catholic 
Church  Incorporated  June  10,  1784. — Rev. 
Charles  Whelan,  O.  M.  Cap.,  First  Resident 
Pastor. — Lease  of  Five  Lots  in  Barclay 
Street. — Corner-stone  laid  October  5,  1785. — 
Dr.  Carroll  on  Trusteeism. — Rev.  Andrew 
Nugent,  O.  M.  Cap.,  Second  Pastor. — Dedica- 
tion and  First  Mass,  November  4,  1786. — 
Rev.  William  O'Brien,  O.P.,  Third  Pastor. . .       3 

CHAPTER  II. 

Earliest  Records  of  St.  Peter's. 

Struggle  for  Existence.  —  Appeals.  —  Father 
O'Brien  Collects  in  Mexico  and  Cuba. — Mem- 
orial to  Trinity  Corporation. — Plans  for  Com- 
pleting Church. — Donation  from  Bishop  and 
Chapter  of  Pueblo  de  los  Angeles. — St.  Peter's 
Free  School  Established  March  30,  1800. ...     18 


xviii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  III.  page 

The  Completion  of  St.  Peter's. 

The  Church  Completed  by  Father  O'Brien. — 
Heroic  Work  of  Clergy  during  Yellow  Fever 
Ravages. — Mother  Seton  makes  her  Profes- 
sion of  Faith  in  St.  Peter's. — Illness  and 
Death  of  Father  O'Brien. — Memorial  to  the 
Legislature. — Distinguished  Laymen  of  St. 
Peter's  Congregation. — List  of  Pastors,  As- 
sistants, and  Trustees 33 

PART  II. 
The  Old  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick  (1809-1879). 

CHAPTER  I. 

Beginnings  of  the  Old  Cathedral 

See  of  New  York  created  April  8,  1808.— Right 
Rev.  Richard  L.  Concanen,  O.P.,  First  Bish- 
op.— Site  of  the  old  Cathedral. — Rev.  An- 
thony Kohlmann,  S.J.,  First  Rector. — Plans 
for  Building. — Corner-stone  laid  June  8,  1809. 
— Appeal  for  Funds.  —  Patrician  Society 
founded  January  22,  1810. — Death  of  Bishop 
Concanen. — New  York  Literary  Institution. .     49 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Completion  of  Old  St.  Patrick's. 

Right  Rev.  John  Connolly,  O.P.,  Second  Bishop. — 
Dedication  of  Cathedral,  May  4,  1815. — First 
Orphan  Asylum. — St.  Patrick's  School  opened 
1817.— School  Report  (1805-1824).  St.  Pat- 
rick's Christian  Doctrine  Society. — Separate 
Incorporation,  April  14,  1817. — Difficulties 
with  Trustees. — Deeds  Found  and  Registered. 
— First  Ordination. — Death  of  Bishop  Con- 
nolly       62 


CONTENTS  xix 

CHAPTER  III.  page 

Memories  of  Old  St.  Patrick's. 

Right  Rev.  John  Dubois,  Third  Bishop.— First 
Consecration. — First  Diocesan  Synod. — First, 
Second,  and  Third  Provincial  Councils. — 
Death  of  Archbishop  Hughes. — Installation  of 
Archbishop  McCloskey. — Old  St.  Patrick's 
burned,  Oct.  6,  1866. — Re-dedicated  March 
17,  1868. — Investiture  of  First  American 
Cardinal. — Rectors 85 

PART  III. 

The  New  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick. 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  New  Cathedral  Begun. 

The  Beginnings  of  the  New  Cathedral. — The  Site. 
— Old  St.  John's  Church. — Contracts. — Arch- 
itect's Report. — Circular  Letter  of  Archbishop 
Hughes. — Corner-stone  laid  August  15,  1858. 
— Extracts  from  Sermon  of  Archbishop 
Hughes Ill 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Completion  of  the  New  Cathedral. 

Cathedral  Fair. — Dedication  May  25,  1879.— First 
Consecration.  —  Translation  of  Archbishop 
Hughes'  Remains.  —  Cardinal  McCloskey's 
Golden  Jubilee. — The  Cardinal's  Death. — In- 
stallation of  Archbishop  Corrigan. — Spires 
Erected. — Episcopal  Jubilee  of  Archbishop 
Corrigan. — His  Death. — Synods  and  Provin- 
cial Councils. — Installation  of  Archbishop 
Farley.— Cathedral  Parish 128 


xx  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  III.  page 

Description  of  the  New  Cathedral. 
Exterior. — Interior. — The     Lady     Chapel. — The 
Altars. — The     Throne. — The     Pulpit. — The 
Stations  of  the  Cross. — The  Ostensorium.  ..    153 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Description  of  the  New  Cathedral.  (Continued.) 

The  Windows 181 

CHAPTER  V. 
Description  of  the  New  Cathedral.  (Continued.) 
The  Statues. — The  Chapels. — The  Paintings. — The 
Chimes. — The    Organs. — Lighting. — Heating. 
—Ventilation 209 

APPENDIX. 

I.     Succession  of  Prelates  in  the  Archdiocese 

of  New  York; 231 

II.     The  Archdiocese  of  New  York  in  1908.  . .   233 

III.  The  Architect  of  the  Cathedral. 234 

IV.  Subscriptions  Received  in  Response  to  the 

circular  of  the  Most  Reverend  Arch- 
bishop Hughes  for  New  Cathedral  of 

St.  Patrick 235 

V.     The  High  Altar  in  the  Cathedral.— Gift  of 
the  Clergy  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New 

York 245 

VI.     The    Subscribers    for   the    Stained    Glass 
Windows    in    the    New    St.    Patrick's 

Cathedral 248 

VII.     Church  Assessments   for  New   Cathedral 

(1867-1876) 252 

VIII.     Archbishop  Hughes  to  Trustees 256 

IX.     Trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  1817- 

1908 260 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

facing  page 
Frontispiece. 

Old  St.  Peter's,  Barclay  Street 13 

Right  Rev.  Richard  Luke  Concanen 26 

Old  St.  Patrick's,  Mott  Street 51 

Pope  Pius  VII 58 

Right  Rev.  John  Connolly 71 

Right  Rev.  John  Dubois 85 

Most  Rev.  John  Hughes 90 

His  Eminence,  Cardinal  McCloskey 97 

Most  Rev.  Michael  Augustine  Corrigan 102 

Most  Rev.  John  M.  Farley Ill 

James  Renwick,  Architect  of  the  Cathedral.  117 

Ground  Plan  of  the  Cathedral 122 

East  View 126 

West  View 133 

North  Transept 136 

Bronze  Doors  of  Transept 143 

The  Crypt 149 

The  Lady  Chapel 155 

Interior  of  the  Lady  Chapel 158 

The  Altar  of  St.  Michael  and  St.  Louis 165 

Altar  of  St.  Elizabeth 171 

Holy  Family  Altar 177 

The  High  Altar 183 


xxii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Statue  of  St.  Patrick 189 

The  Pulpit 192 

Altar  of  St.  Bernard  and  St.  Bridget 199 

Altar  of  St.  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle 202 

Altar  of  St.  Augustine 209 

Altar  of  the  Holy  Face 215 

Altar  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua 218 

Altar  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist 225 

Altar  of  St.  Stanislaus  Kostka 228 


PART  I. 

Old  St.  Peter's  (1785-1815). 


CHAPTER  I. 
Beginnings  of  St.  Peter's. 

Rev.  Ferdinand  Farmer,  S.J.,  Founder  of  First 
Congregation  in  New  York. — The  Catholic 
Church  Incorporated  June  10,1784. — Rev.  Charles 
Whelan,  O.  M.  Cap.,  First  Resident  Pastor. — 
Lease  of  Five  Lots  in  Barclay  Street. — Corner- 
stone laid  October  5,  1785. — Dr.  Carroll  on  Trus- 
teeism. — Rev.  Andrew  Nugent,  O.  M.  Cap.,  Second 
Pastor. — Dedication  and  First  Mass,  November  4, 
1786. — Rev.  William  O'Brien,  O.P.,  Third  Pastor. 

The  first  priest  who  regularly  officiated  for  the 
Catholics  in  this  city  was  the  learned  Jesuit,  the  Rev. 
Ferdinand  Farmer,*  whose  real  name  was  Steen- 
mayer.  A  great  mathematician,  he  had  co-operated 
in  a  work  on  the  Transit  of  Venus,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  London,  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society,  and  a  trustee  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania.  Father  Farmer  came  to  America  in 
1752  and  was  assigned  to  the  missions  of  Maryland. 
He  visited  New  York  at  intervals,  though  obliged  to 
enter  the  city  in  disguise  and  minister  secretly  to  a  few 
Catholics  assembled  in  the  house  of  a  good  German  in 
Wall  Street,  or  any  other  available  place.  "Until  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  and  while  the  English 
laws  were  in  force  in  the  country,  no  Catholic  clergy- 
man was  allowed  to  officiate  in  this  State."f  As  soon 
as  the  British  evacuated  New  York,  Father  Farmer 

*  Historical    Records    and    Studies,    Vol.    I.,    p.    192. 
t  History  of  the  Churches  of  New  York,  by  Rev.  Jonathan  Greenleaf, 
p.    333. 


4  BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

came  openly  to  the  city  and  gathered  together  the  scat- 
tered members  of  his  flock.  On  April  6,  1784,  the  Leg- 
islature passed  "An  Act  to  enable  all  the  Religious  De- 
nominations in  this  State  to  appoint  Trustees."  The 
Catholics  at  once  took  advantage  of  this  statute,  and  on 
June  10,  1785,  the  Catholic  Church  in  this  city  was 
legally  incorporated,  with  Hector  St.  John  de  Creve- 
cceur,  Consul  General  of  France,  Jose  Roiz  Silva, 
James  Stewart,  and  Henry  Duffin  as  the  "Trustees  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  the  city  of  New  York." 
The  first  pastor  of  this  newly  incorporated  body  was 
the  Rev.  Charles  Whelan,*  an  Irish  Capuchin  monk, 
who  had  served  as  a  chaplain  in  Admiral  de  Grasse's 
fleet.  "At  the  close  of  the  war,"  writes  Bishop  Bayley, 
"he  (Father  Whelan)  determined  to  go  on  the  Ameri- 
can mission,  and  became  the  first  regularly  settled 
priest  in  the  city  of  New  York."f 

In  a  letter  dated  December  15,  1785,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Carroll,  Prefect  Apostolic,  writes  to  the  Rev.  Charles 
Plowden:  "The  congregation  at  New  York,  begun  by 
the  venerable  Mr.  Farmer,  of  Philadelphia,  he  has 
now  ceded  to  the  Irish  Capuchin  resident  there."  Fa- 
ther Farmer  until  his  death,  August  16,  1786,  contin- 
ued to  visit  the  New  York  congregation  of  which  he 
is  justly  considered  the  founder,  and  of  which  the 
Rev.  Charles  Whelan  was  the  first  resident  pastor.  In 
1781  and  1782  Mass  was  celebrated  in  a  loft  over  a 
carpenter  shop  near  Barclay  Street,  which  was  then  in 


*  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.  196. 

t  Bayley,  History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  New  York,  p.  56.  The 
first  native  of  New  York  State  raised  to  the  priesthood  was  the  Rev. 
James  Neale,  who  was  born  in  St.  Peter's  parish  and  acted  as  assistant 
there  from  Oct.  16,  1833,  until  his  death  Nov.  6,  1838.  He  had  pre- 
viously entered  the  Society  of  Jesus.  (Historical  Records  and  Studies, 
Vol.  II.,  p.  43.) 


BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  5 

the  suburbs  of  the  city.*  Sometimes  the  faithful  assem- 
bled in  the  parlor  of  the  Spanish  consul,  Don  Thomas 
Stoughton,f  and  in  1785  Don  Diego  de  Gardoqui,  the 
Spanish  ambassador,  opened  his  house  for  Catholic 
services. 

Mr.  Greenleaf  states  that  the  Catholics,  after  their 
organization,  worshiped  at  first  "in  a  building  erected 
for  public  purposes  in  Vauxhall  Garden,  situated  on  a 
margin  of  the  North  River,  the  garden  extending  from 
Warren  to  Chambers  Streets. "J  This  place  was  not 
suitable  for  church  purposes  and  in  April,  1785,  Hector 
St.  John  de  Crevecoeur,  who  had  won  distinction  as  a 
brilliant  soldier  under  Montcalm  in  Canada,  applied  to 
the  city  authorities  for  the  use  of  the  Exchange,  a 
building  then  located  at  the  lower  end  of  Broad  Street, 
and  occupied  as  a  court  room.  The  Catholics  were  few 
in  number,  and  poor  in  resources,  but  had  some  influ- 
ence, because  New  York,  then  the  temporary  seat  of 
the  Government,  was  the  residence  of  the  foreign  Min- 
isters, several  of  whom  were  Catholics,  and  when  Con- 
gress was  in  session  the  Catholic  members  added  the 
weight  of  their  social  and  political  prestige.  Of  these 
Catholics,  St.  John  de  Crevecoeur,  who  had  become  a 
farmer  in  New  York,  should  be  held  in  grateful  re- 
membrance. When  the  Common  Council  refused  to 
give  the  use  of  the  Exchange,  St.  John  de  Crevecoeur 
resented  the  act  as  an  insult.     He  took  the  initiative, 


*  An  Italian  traveler,  Castiglioni,  mentions  hearing  Mass  in  the 
"camera  poco  decente"  but  that  the  Catholics,  though  neither  rich  nor 
many,  bought  a  lot  in  the  winter  of  1785.  (Viaggio  negli  Stati  Uniti. 
Vol.  L,  p.   177.) 

t  "Mr.  Velasquez  informs  me  that  Mr.  Stoughton  lived  at  that  time 
in  Water  Street,  and  that  Mass  was  celebrated  in  the  second  story 
of  a  small  frame  house  near  his  residence."  (Bayley,  History  of  the 
Catholic  Church  in  New  York,  p.   54.) 

t  History  of  the  Churches  of  New  York,  p.  333. 


6  BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

reorganized  the  faithful,  and  encouraged  them  to  pro- 
ceed at  once  to  secure  ground,  and  erect  a  church  edi- 
fice. This  zeal  on  his  part  is  surprising,  because  ac- 
cording to  reliable  information  he  was  by  no  means  a 
fervent  Catholic,  and  his  Letters  of  an  American  Farmer 
revealed  tendencies  to  the  philosophy  of  Voltaire  and  to 
indifference  in  religion.  How  much  the  project  of 
constructing  a  church  meant  in  those  days  may  be 
judged  from  the  fact  that  at  the  close  of  1784  the  ven- 
erable Father  Farmer  could  reckon  only  eighteen  com- 
municants in  New  York,  three  of  whom  were  Ger- 
mans. In  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Carroll,  dated  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1785,  Father  Farmer  says:  "The  Rev.  Mr. 
Whelan  from  New  York  writeth  to  me  that  he  counts 
about  two  hundred."* 

However,  in  the  summer  of  1785,  after  considerable 
difficulty  in  selecting  a  site,  Father  Whelan,  acting  on 
the  advice  of  Mr.  Silva,  bought  a  lease  of  five  lots  in 
Barclay  Street  extending  to  Church.  These  five  lots, 
now  occupied  by  St.  Peter's  Church,  were  leased  "from 
parties  who  held  a  long  lease  from  The  Rector  and 
Inhabitants  of  the  city  of  New  York  in  Communion 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  the  State  of 
New  York'  (the  old  title  of  Trinity  Corporation  )."f 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  the  site  on  which 
St.  Peter's  now  stands  is  that  on  which  the  Rev.  John 
Ury,  an  English  non-conforming  clergyman,  was  exe- 
cuted, August  29,  1741,  on  the  supposition  that  he  was  a 
Catholic  priest  and  was  involved  in  the  "Negro  Plot."J 

*  Bayley,  History  of  the   Catholic  Church  in  New  York,   p.   57. 

t  Mgr.  J.  H.  McGean,  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.  356. 

t  His  last  speech  and  a  brief  account  of  the  affair  may  be  found  in 
the  Green  Banner,  November  5,  1836,  and  in  the  New  York  Catholic 
Register,  October  17,  1839,  pp.  27  and  28.  Mr.  Shea  is  of  opinion  that 
Ury  was  hanged  on  an  island  in  the  Collect.  (See  "Negro  Plot,"  by 
John  Gilmary  Shea,  printed  in  Valentine's  Manual.) 


BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  7 

The  minutes  of  Trinity  Church,  August  17,  1785, 
record  a  petition  from  the  newly  organized  parish  of 
St.  Peter  that  "it  might  be  permitted  to  purchase  the 
reversion  of  certain  lots  of  the  Church  Farm,  the 
leases  of  which  they  have  purchased  from  former  ten- 
ants." The  Trinity  Corporation  acted  favorably  on 
the  petition,  and  the  corner-stone  of  the  first  St.  Pe- 
ter's Church  was  laid  on  leased  ground  in  Barclay 
Street,  then  the  outskirts  of  the  young  city,  on  Octo- 
ber 5,  1785.  The  ceremony  was  performed  by  the 
Spanish  minister,  Don  Diego  de  Gardoqui,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  numerous  and  distinguished  assemblage. 

The  New  York  Packet,  dated  Monday,  October  10, 
1785,  has  this  notice  of  the  event :  "Last  Wednesday 
the  foundation  stone  of  the  Roman  Catholic  chapel 
was  laid  (on  ground  lately  purchased  in  the  rear  of 
St.  Paul's  Church,  and  set  apart  for  the  performance 
of  divine  service)  by  His  Excellency,  Don  Diego  de 
Gardoqui,  minister  from  His  Majesty  the  King  of 
Spain."  This  is  corroborated  by  the  well-known 
Catholic  historian,  Mr.  Martin  I.  J.  Griffin,  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  The  I.  C.  B.  U.  Journal,  March  5,  1885,  in 
which  he  quotes  The  Pennsylvania  Journal  and  Adver- 
tiser, as  stating  in  its  issue  of  Wednesday,  October  12, 
1785,  that  the  corner-stone  of  St.  Peter's  had  been  laid 
on  the  previous  Wednesday. 

In  accordance  with  the  desire  of  the  congregation, 
the  new  church  was  named  St.  Peter's.  It  was  to  be 
a  handsome  brick  structure,  with  a  square  tower  forty- 
eight  feet  front  by  eighty-one  in  depth.  Appeals  for 
aid  were  addressed  to  the  Kings  of  France  and  Spain. 
Notwithstanding  the  earnest  endeavors  of  Mr.  de 
Crevecceur,  no  response  was  received  from  the  French 


8  BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

King.  Charles  IV.  of  Spain  instructed  Don  Gardoqui 
to  contribute  in  his  name  $1,000.  This  contribution 
was  received  in  June,  1786,  and  was  acknowledged  by 
the  trustees,  who  set  apart  a  pew  in  the  church  for  the 
perpetual  use  of  the  Spanish  Legation. 

It  is  curious  that  the  reports  of  the  ceremonies 
attending  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  make  no 
mention  of  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  Father  Whelan,  a 
zealous,  well-educated  priest,  with  no  little  dry  wit, 
more  familiar  with  French  than  English,  and  hence  a 
poor  preacher,  which  was  an  unpardonable  defect  in 
those  days,  and  estranged  the  congregation  from  the 
beginning.  Early  in  1785,  after  a  visit  to  New  York, 
Father  Farmer  wrote  to  Dr.  Carroll:  "The  congre- 
gation there  seems  to  me  to  be  yet  in  a  poor  situation, 
and  under  many  difficulties.  Father  Whelan,  since  get- 
ting faculties,  had  only  twenty  odd  communicants,  and 
I  had  eighteen,  three  of  whom  were  Germans.  When 
I  left  New  York  they  were  entirely  out  of  place  for 
keeping  the  church.  Scarce  was  I  arrived  there  when 
an  Irish  merchant  paid  me  a  visit  and  asked  me  if  Mr. 
Whelan  was  settled  over  them.  My  answer,  as  far 
as  I  can  remember,  was  that  he  had  only  power  to 
perform  parochial  duties;  but  if  the  congregation  did 
not  like  him  and  could  better  themselves  they  were 
not  obliged  to  keep  him.  Some  days  after,  another, 
seeing  Mr.  Whelan's  endeavors  to  settle  himself  there, 
as  it  were,  in  spite  of  them,  declared  to  me  that  he 
had  a  mind  to  apply  to  the  Legislature  for  a  law  that 
no  clergyman  could  be  forced  upon  them,  which  he 
thought  he  could  easily  obtain.  I  endeavored  to  recon- 
cile them  by  telling  Mr.  Whelan  to  make  himself  agree- 
able to  his  countrymen  and  by  telling  these  to  be  con- 


BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  9 

tented  with  what  they  had  at  present,   for   fear  of 
worse."* 

Dr.  Carroll,  late  in  the  same  year  (December  15th), 
in  a  letter  to  Father  Plowden,  bears  testimony  to  the 
excellent  character  of  Father  Whelan,  and  reveals  the 
motives  of  the  congregation's  dissatisfaction  with  him 
"The  Capuchin  (Father  Whelan)  is  a  zealous,  pious, 
and,  I  think,  humble  man.  He  is  not,  indeed,  so  learned 
or  so  good  a  preacher  as  I  could  wish,  which  mortifies 
his  congregation;  as  at  New  York  and  most  other 
places  in  America  the  different  sectaries  have  scarce 
any  other  test  to  judge  of  a  clergyman  than  his  talents 
for  preaching,  and  our  Irish  congregations,  such  as 
New  York,  follow  the  same  rule."f  These  strained 
relations  between  Father  Whelan  and  his  people  were 
aggravated  by  the  arrival  of  the  Rev.  Andrew  Nu- 
gent,:]: another  Capuchin,  in  1786,  whom  Dr.  Carroll, 
after  some  hesitation,  appointed  as  an  assistant  to  the 
pastor  of  St.  Peter's.  Trouble  soon  broke  out  between 
Father  Whelan  and  his  assistant,  as  appears  from  a 
letter  of  Father  Whelan,  dated  December  20,  1785, 
to  Dr.  Carroll,  with  "great  complaint  against  his  con- 
frere." Father  Nugent  was  a  good  preacher  and  this 
made  him  very  popular  with  the  congregation,  the 
members  of  which,  with  four  exceptions,  voted  to  de- 
pose Father  Whelan  in  favor  of  Father  Nugent.  Fa- 
ther Farmer  in  one  of  his  letters  states :  "Mr.  Whelan 
informs  me  that  ever  since  Christmas  they  have  taken 
from  him  the  collection  which  is  usually  made  on  Sun- 
days after  church,  and  which  was  his  support.  Your 
Reverence  is  very  sensible  of  the  irregularity  of  these 

*  Bayley,   History  of  the    Catholic   Church   in   New   York,    pp.    57-58. 

flbid.,  pp.  55-56. 

t  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.   198. 


10  BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

proceedings."  The  contest  became  so  intense  that  the 
Prefect  Apostolic  was  obliged  to  intervene.  The  trus- 
tees claimed  the  right  to  choose  or  depose  their  pastor, 
and  asseverated  that  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  must 
abide  by  their  decision  in  such  matters.  If  necessary, 
they  were  determined  to  resort  to  legal  means  to 
establish  this  principle  and  rid  themselves  of  Father 
Whelan.  Dr.  Carroll  undertook  the  difficult  task  of 
peacemaker.  He  urged  the  two  priests  to  settle  their 
contest  in  a  generous  spirit  of  fraternal  charity,  and 
set  clearly  before  the  trustees  the  pernicious  tenden- 
cies of  their  principles.  The  words  of  the  Prefect  Apos- 
tolic will  be  found  most  interesting  and  instructive. 
"If  ever  the  principles  there  laid  down  should  become 
predominant,  the  unity  and  catholicity  of  our  Church 
would  be  at  an  end ;  and  it  would  be  formed  into  dis- 
tinct and  independent  societies,  nearly  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  Congregational  Presbyterians  of  your 
neighboring  New  England  States.  A  zealous  clergy- 
man performing  his  duty  courageously  and  without 
respect  of  persons  would  be  always  liable  to  be  the 
victim  of  his  earnest  endeavors  to  stop  the  progress  of 
vice  and  evil  example,  and  others  more  compliant  with 
the  passions  of  some  principal  persons  of  the  congre- 
gation would  be  substituted  in  his  room:  and  if  the 
ecclesiastical  superior  has  no  control  of  these  in- 
stances, I  will  refer  it  to  your  own  judgment  what  the 
consequences  may  be.  The  great  source  of  misconcep- 
tion in  this  matter  is  that  an  idea  appears  to  be  taken 
both  by  you  and  Mr.  Whelan  that  the  officiating  clergy- 
man at  New  York  is  a  parish  priest,  whereas  there  is 
yet  no  such  office  in  the  United  States.  The  hierarchy 
of  our  American  Church  not  being  yet  constituted,  no 


BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  11 

parishes  are  formed;  and  the  clergy  coming  to  the 
assistance  of  the  faithful  are  but  voluntary  laborers  in 
the  vineyard  of  Christ,  not  vested  with  ordinary  juris- 
diction annexed  to  their  offices,  but  exercising  it 
as  a  delegated  and  extra-hierarchical  commission.  I 
can  not  tell  what  assistance  the  laws  might  give  you; 
but  allow  me  to  say  that  you  can  take  no  step  so  fatal 
to  that  respectability  in  which  as  a  religious  society 
you  wish  to  stand,  or  more  prejudicial  to  the  Catholic 
cause.  I  must,  therefore,  entreat  you  to  decline  a 
design  so  pernicious  to  all  your  prospects;  and  pro- 
testing against  measures  so  extreme,  I  explicitly  de- 
clare that  no  clergyman,  be  he  who  he  may,  shall  re- 
ceive any  spiritual  powers  from  me,  who  shall  advise 
or  countenance  so  unnecessary  and  prejudicial  a  pro- 
ceeding."* 

Notwithstanding  the  agitation  against  him,  Father 
Whelan  made  every  effort  to  advance  the  construction 
of  his  church.  The  New  York  papers,  New  York 
Gazetteer  and  County  Journal  and  New  York  Packet, 
May  26,  1786,  published  a  call  for  estimates  from 
masons  and  carpenters,  and  the  work  progressed  rap- 
idly during  the  summer  months,  owing  to  the  con- 
stant endeavors  of  Father  Whelan,  who,  however,  had 
to  resign  his  office  in  February,  1786,  because  of  the 
persistent,  unjust,  and  ungrateful  attacks  of  his  ene- 
mies, who  thus  deprived  him  of  the  consolation  of 
witnessing  the  dedication  of  the  temple  for  which  he 
had  made  so  many  sacrinces.f  Father  Whelan  left  New 
York  and  went  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  brother,  forty-five 
miles   from  Albany.     Besides   Father   Nugent,   there 

*  Shea,  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States,  Vol.  II.,  p.  276. 
t  Ibid.,  pp.  276-277. 


12  BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

was  but  one  other  priest  in  the  city,  M.  de  la  Vali- 
niere,*  to  whom  Father  Farmer  sent  "powers  to  per- 
form parochialia  without  restrictions  to  the  French. "f 

On  March  6,  1786,  Father  Farmer  wrote  to  Dr. 
Carroll :  "What  to  me  is  the  greatest  difficulty  in  the 
appointment  of  Father  Nugent  is  the  arbitrary  and 
ungenerous  manner  in  which  they  forced  poor  Father 
Whelan  to  depart,  who,  though  he  was  not  very  learned, 
yet  was  ready  to  ask  and  take  advice,  which  I  be- 
lieve is  not  the  quality  of  the  former.  The  sec- 
ond is  they  who  take  upon  them  to  be  the  trustees 
(at  least  some  of  them),  have  the  principle  that  they 
can  choose  for  themselves  whom  they  please,  whether 
approved  by  the  superior  or  not,  as  I  formerly  heard 
they  said,  and  now  the  fact  proves.  The  principle  is 
of  the  most  pernicious  consequence,  and  must  be  con- 
tradicted."^: 

Dr.  Carroll  had  no  alternative  but  to  appoint  Father 
Nugent,  whose  faculties  were  limited  "usque  ad  revo- 
cationem."  Soon  after,  on  April  13,  1786,  Father 
Farmer  informed  the  Prefect  Apostolic  that  "the  trus- 
tees at  New  York  offered  Mr.  Nugent  for  his  yearly 
salary  $300,  the  Sunday  collections  included,  but  he 
demanded  $400,  upon  which  they  declared  to  him  if 
he  was  not  satisfied  he  had  liberty  to  depart  and 
welcome." 

In  producing  the  above  letters,  Mr.  Campbell  §  in  his 
Life  and  Times  of  Archbishop  Carroll,  makes  the  fol- 
lowing reflections :  "It  may  serve  to  illustrate  the  his- 
tory and  to  show  the  pernicious  tendency  of  the  trustee 

*  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.   199. 
f  Bayley,  p.  61,  note, 
i  Ibid.,  p.  61. 
flbid.,  p.   62. 


BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  13 

system  to  remark  that  at  the  period  of  this  presump- 
tuous interference  of  the  trustees  of  the  Catholic  con- 
gregation of  New  York  with  the  spiritual  government 
of  the  Church,  they  were  not  in  possession  of  an  edifice 
of  their  own  in  which  to  perform  divine  worship,  but 
were  under  the  necessity  of  hiring  a  room  for  the  pur- 
pose." 

Here  we  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  Rev.  John 
Connell,  O.P.,*  who  arrived  in  New  York  May  17, 
1786,  and  officiated  in  St.  Peter's  in  1787.  Father 
Connell  had  been  Vicar  of  the  Hospital  of  the  Irish 
Dominicans  at  Bilboa,  and  was  sent  to  the  Spanish 
minister  at  New  York,  who  had  appealed  to  the  King 
for  the  services  of  a  chaplain.  "At  the  request  of  the 
King  of  Spain,  faculties  were  given  Father  Connell  by 
the  Titular  Archbishop  of  Corinth,  the  Apostolic  Nun- 
cio at  Madrid,  and  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  chaplain 
he  attended  the  few  Catholics  then  in  the  city,  thus 
becoming  the  first  of  the  series  of  Dominican  missiona- 
ries in  New  York."f 

Father  Nugent  prosecuted  the  building  of  the  church 
with  vigor,  and  the  work  had  advanced  so  far  by  the 
end  of  summer  that  the  dedication  was  set  for  No- 
vember 4,  the  feast  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo,  as  a 
compliment  to  the  King  of  Spain,  Charles  IV.,  who 
had  been  so  generous  a  benefactor  of  the  church.  The 
New  York  Packet,  dated  Tuesday,  November  7,  1786, 
has  this  brief  notice  of  the  ceremony : 

"Saturday  morning  the  Roman  Catholic  church  in 
this  city  was  privately  consecrated  to  the  service  of 
Almighty  God  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nugent,  rector  of  said 

*  Historical  Records  and  Studies.,   Vol.  I.,  p.   197. 
f  Archbishop  Corrigan,  ibid. 


14  BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

church ;  when  further  progress  is  made  in  the  building, 
it  will  then  be  dedicated  with  the  usual  solemnities,  of 
which  timely  notice  will  be  given.  There  were  present 
at  the  ceremony  His  Excellency  Don  Gardoqui,  and 
son,  his  excellency's  secretary,  and  several  other  gen- 
tlemen of  distinction." 

In  the  sanctuary  of  the  present  church  a  marble 
tablet  commemorates  these  two  important  events  in  its 
history  by  this  inscription : 

Corner-stone  laid  October  5,  1785. 
Church  Opening,  November  4,  1786. 

The  first  Mass  in  St.  Peter's  Church  was  the  High 
Mass  sung  on  the  opening  day  by  Father  Nugent,  as- 
sisted by  the  chaplains  of  the  French  and  Spanish  Le- 
gations. The  church  had  been  blessed  privately  the 
same  morning  by  the  pastor,  who  at  the  close  of  the 
Mass  delivered  a  fitting  discourse.  Places  of  honor 
were  occupied  by  Don  Diego  de  Gardoqui,  his  suite, 
and  prominent  Spanish  residents  of  the  city.  "After 
the  ceremonies  the  Spanish  minister  entertained  at  din- 
ner in  his  house  the  President  of  the  United  States 
and  his  cabinet,  the  members  and  secretaries  of  Con- 
gress, the  Governor  of  the  State,  the  representatives  of 
foreign  powers,  many  of  whom  probably  attended  the 
service  in  the  church."* 

The  trustees  decided  to  change  the  original  title  of 
incorporation,  which  was  considered  too  vague.  Due 
notice  was  given  by  the  rector  on  two  successive  Sun- 
days, and  on  April  23,  1787,  the  congregation  adopted 
as  its  title  "The  Trustees  for  the  Roman  Catholic  Con- 

*  Shea,  Vol.  II.,  p.  285. 


BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  15 

gregation  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  the  city  of  New 
York  in  America." 

The  population  of  the  city  at  the  time  was  about 
25,000,  of  which  number  not  more  than  400  were  Cath- 
olics. The  earliest  entries  in  the  baptismal  register  of 
St.  Peter's  Church  reveal  how  cosmopolitan  was  this 
small  flock.  Irish  names  are  the  most  numerous,  then 
come  the  French,  the  German,  the  Italian,  Spanish, 
Scotch,  and  English.* 

Alas,  the  little  bark  of  St.  Peter's  was  not  launched 
in  peaceful  waters.  Soon  the  waves  of  discord  again 
encompassed  it  on  every  side,  and  it  seemed  destined 
to  be  submerged  by  overwhelming  debts  and  the  con- 
stant trouble  between  the  combative  Father  Nugent 
and  his  people.  The  trustees  had  good  reason  to  re- 
gret their  ungrateful  action  in  substituting  Father 
Nugent  for  the  good  Father  Whelan,  and  frequently 
appealed  to  the  Prefect  Apostolic  to  depose  their  un- 
worthy rector.  At  last,  in  view  of  the  serious  charges 
preferred  by  the  trustees,  Dr.  Carroll  in  October,  1787, 
withdrew  the  temporary  faculties  of  Father  Nugent 
and  appointed  in  November,  1787,  as  pastor  of  St.  Pe- 
ter's the  Rev.  William  0'Brien,f  a  zealous  Dominican. 
Father  Nugent  refused  to  obey  the  orders  of  the 
Prefect  Apostolic,  who  proceeded  to  New  York  at 
once.  Dr.  Carroll  attempted  to  begin  Mass  on  Sun- 
day morning,  when  Father  Nugent  interrupted  the 
service  and  created  such  a  disturbance  in  the  church 
that  he  was  suspended  from  the  exercise  of  any  priestly 
function.     The  Prefect,  with  the  greater  part  of  the 

*  See  Baptismal  Register  of  St.  Peter's,  Mgr.  McGean,  Historical 
Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  pp.  97,  387;  Vol.  II.,  pp.  148,  454;  Vol. 
III.,   pp.    217,    506. 

f  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.  200. 


16  BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

congregation,  withdrew  to  the  private  chapel  of  the 
Spanish  minister,  Don  Diego  de  Gardoqui,  where  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  was  offered.  Some  few  members  of 
the  flock  encouraged  the  unfortunate  priest  in  his  re- 
bellion against  ecclesiastical  authority,  and  maintained 
that  Dr.  Carroll  had  no  power  to  suspend  him.  "It 
was,"  writes  Shea,  "the  first  occasion  in  the  history 
of  the  Church  in  this  country  where  the  laity,  in  their 
ignorance  of  the  constitution  of  the  Church,  supported 
a  priest  in  resisting  lawful  authority."* 

On  the  following  Sunday,  Dr.  Carroll  again  made 
an  effort  to  say  Mass  in  the  church,  but  owing  to  the 
commotion  aroused  by  Father  Nugent  and  his  adher- 
ents, had  to  repair  with  the  people  to  the  chapel  of  the 
Spanish  Embassy.  Finding  it  impossible  to  do  any- 
thing with  the  intractable  priest  and  his  few  blind  fol- 
lowers, Dr.  Carroll  left  New  York  in  November.  The 
trustees  then  resorted  to  legal  measures.  Father  Nu- 
gent was  compelled  to  withdraw  from  St.  Peter's. 

In  the  records  of  St.  Peter's  we  find  references  to 
the  expenses  incurred  by  the  lawsuits  against  Father 
Nugent  and  his  adherents.  We  must  bear  in  mind 
that  in  those  days  priests  came  to  the  United  States 
and  exercised  the  holy  ministry  without  authority  from 
the  local  ecclesiastical  superior.  Even  in  our  own  day 
this  is  not  an  infrequent  occurrence.  This  practice  led 
to  such  abuses  that  the  Propaganda  issued  a  decree 
forbidding  any  clergyman  to  exercise  the  sacred  min- 
istry in  the  United  States  without  its  permission. 
Hence  when  Fathers  Whelan  and  Nugent  arrived 
in  New  York  the  Prefect  Apostolic  was  in  a  pre- 
dicament.    However,  as  Father  Whelan  was  already 

♦Shea,  Vol.  II.,  p.  324. 


BEGINNINGS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  17 

in  the  country  when  the  decree  was  received,  the 
Prefect  granted  him  faculties.  Father  Nugent  re- 
ceived only  temporary  faculties.  Again,  the  Catholics 
at  that  time  were  few  in  number  and  were  not  suffi- 
ciently instructed  in  their  religion.  They  were  living 
in  an  atmosphere  entirely  non-Catholic,  and  it  is  not 
surprising  if  they  followed  the  practices  and  principles 
of  the  Protestant  Church  with  regard  to  the  relations 
between  a  pastor  and  his  congregation  and  to  the  tem- 
poral administration  of  church  affairs.  For  them  the 
standard  of  excellence  for  a  pastor  was  his  ability  to 
preach,  attract  large  audiences,  and  so  increase  the 
revenues  of  the  church.  They  claimed  the  right  to 
nominate  or  depose  the  pastor  at  pleasure.  "In 
the  minutes  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  St. 
Peter's  Church  and  of  the  old  Cathedral,  one  comes 
across  the  remark  time  and  again  that  the  Rev.  NN. 
being  a  good  preacher,  should  be  invited  to  fill  their 
pulpit,  no  mention  appearing  of  his  virtuous  character, 
his  experience,  zeal  for  souls,  or  the  Bishop's 
sanction."* 


*  Archbishop    Corrigan,    Historical    Records    and    Studies,    Vol.    I.,    p. 
199. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Earliest  Records  of  St.  Peter's. 

Struggle  for  Existence. — Appeals. — Father 
O'Brien  Collects  in  Mexico  and  Cuba. — Memorial 
to  Trinity  Corporation. — Plans  for  Completing 
Church. — Donation  from  Bishop  and  Chapter  of 
Pueblo  de  los  Angeles. — St.  Peter's  Free  School 
Established  March  30,  1800. 

Records  of  St.  Peter's,  i?8p  to  1811. 

The  first  entry  in  the  "Records  of  St.  Peter's 
Church"  reads  as  follows : 

Monday  in  Easter  Week,  New  York, 

13th  April,  1789. 
At  a  general  vestry  held  in  St.  Peter's  Church  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  on  Easter  Monday,  April  13, 
1789  (subsequent  to  prior  notifications  published  by 
the  minister  thereof)  for  the  purpose  of  electing  trus- 
tees for  the  ensuing  year,  agreeably  to  a  law  of  the 
State  passed  the  6th  day  of  April,  1784,  entitled  "An 
Act  to  Enable  all  the  Religious  Denominations  in  this 
State  to  appoint  Trustees," 

The  following  gentlemen  were  unanimously  elected 
to  that  office,  nem.  con.: 

Dominick  Lynch,  Esq., 
Mr.  George  Barnewall, 
Mr.  Andrew  Morris, 
Mr.  John  Sullivan, 
Mr.  Charles  Neylon, 
Mr.  William  Mooney, 
Mr.  Thomas  Stoughton, 
Mr.  Jose  Roiz  Silva,  and 
Mr.  Patrick  Farrell. 


EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  19 

The  foregoing  gentlemen  being  authorized  to  act  in 
the  office  of  trustee  for  the  temporalities  of  said 
church,  from  Monday  in  Easter  week,  1789,  to  Mon- 
day in  said  week,  1790,  which  office  they  have  re- 
spectively accepted  of,  during  the  period  aforesaid. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  held  on  April  24,  1789, 
in  the  "dwelling-house  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  William 
O'Brien,"  the  following  measures  were  adopted: 

That  Mathias  O'Connor,  the  present  sexton  of  said 
church,  be  informed  that  the  fees  for  burying  the  de- 
ceased belonging  to  the  congregation,  are  to  be  paid 
before  the  ground  is  opened  in  the  churchyard  for  the 
interment  of  any  corpse  whatever: 

That  a  notification  be  printed,  and  put  up  in  the 
church,  setting  forth  that  the  necessities  of  the  same, 
and  deficiency  of  funds,  require  the  subscribers  to  be 
punctual  in  the  payment  of  their  respective  subscrip- 
tions. 

That  a  committee  consisting  of  Mr.  Silva  and  Mr. 
Stoughton,  be  appointed  to  procure  a  plan  from  Mr. 
Thomas  Ogilvie,  the  carpenter,  for  the  erecting  of  from 
forty  to  fifty  pews  in  the  church,  and  to  know  his  low- 
est terms  of  payment,  and  length  of  credit,  and  report 
the  same  at  their  next  meeting. 

On  June  1,  1789,  the  trustees  met  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Jose  Roiz  Silva,  and  resolved  to  hold  regular  meet- 
ings on  the  first  Monday  evening  of  each  month 
at  7  o'clock  during  summer  and  at  6  o'clock  during 
winter.  Absentees,  unless  excused  by  sickness  or  busi- 
ness outside  the  city,  were  fined  eight  shillings.  On 
motion  of  Mr.  Barnewall, 

It  was  unanimously  agreed  to  select  by  ballot  four 
gentlemen  trustees  who  in  due  rotation,  two  and  two, 
should  make  the  collection,  when  the  numbers  being 
taken,  stood  as  follows: 


20  EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

No.  1,  Mr.  Andrew  Morris. 

No.  2,  Mr.  William  Mooney. 

Nos.  3  and  4,  Messrs.  Lynch  and  Silva. 

Nos.  5  and  6,  Messrs.  Barnewall  and  Sullivan. 

Nos.  7  and  8,  Messrs.  Stoughton  and  Farrell. 

Resolved,  That  the  aforesaid  gentlemen  shall  make 
the  collections  on  every  Sunday  throughout  the  year 
in  the  church  aforesaid  agreeably  to  the  aforesaid 
order  and  numbers  as  expressed  above. 

And  the  two  trustees  whose  number  and  order  it 
may  happen  to  be  for  the  Sunday  collection  may  sit 
in  the  seat  set  apart  for,  and  called  the  trustees'  pew, 
and  that  not  more  than  three  of  the  trustees  shall  sit 
in  the  said  pew  at  any  time. 

On  June  8,  1789,  an  important  meeting  of  the  trus- 
tees took  place  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Jose  Roiz  Silva. 
The  following  resolutions  were  adopted  on  motion  of 
Mr.  Lynch: 

Resolved,  That  a  portable  book  be  purchased,  and 
that  the  individuals  who  compose  the  congregation  of 
St.  Peter's  Church  be  requested  to  inscribe  their  names 
therein,  each  in  his  or  her  own  handwriting,  together 
with  the  street  and  number  of  their  respective  resi- 
dence and  that  the  preamble  or  obligatory  preface  of 
said  book  be  as  follows,  viz. : 

We,  the  subscribers,  do  hereby  promise  to  pay  into 
the  hands  of  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  for  the  time  being,  the  sums  an- 
nexed to  our  respective  names,  every  three  months 
successively  for  the  use  of  said  church,  which  pay- 
ments are  to  commence  on  the  first  day  of  July  next 
ensuing  the  day  of  the  date  hereof,  given  under  our 
hands  in  New  York,  the  ninth  day  of  June,  1789. 

Resolved,  That  a  letter  be  written  to  the  Count  de 
Moutiers,  His  Christian  Majesty's  Ambassador  to 
these  United  States,  by  the  secretary,  he  affixing  the 
seal  of  said  church  thereto,  representing  to  him  the 


EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  21 

imperfect  and  reduced  funds  of  said  church,  and 
requesting  in  very  respectful  terms  his  donation  or  con- 
tribution for  the  relief  of  the  same. 

Resolved,  That  two  memorials  in  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage, one  directed  to  the  Bishop  of  Cartagena,  and 
another  to  the  pious,  zealous,  and  well-disposed 
Christians,  subjects  of  His  Catholic  Majesty,  inhabit- 
ing his  dominions  in  South  America,  and  that  Mr. 
Thomas  Stoughton  be  requested  to  dictate,  compose, 
and  write  the  same,  and  that  they  be  forwarded  by 
Dr.  Salvador  de  los  Monteros  for  the  purpose  of  char- 
itable contributions. 

The  letter  to  Count  de  Moutiers  reads  as  follows : 

To  His  Excellency,  Count  de  Moutiers,  Minister 

Plenipotentiary  from  His  Most  Christian  Majesty 

to  the  United  States: 
May  it  Please  Your  Excellency: 

The  trustees  in  behalf  of  the  congregation  of  St. 
Peter's  Church,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  beg  leave 
respectfully  to  represent  that  at  the  happy  termination 
of  the  late  Revolution,  which  secured  in  common  with 
other  religious  denominations  the  free  exercise  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion  and  the  ample  enjoyment 
of  their  civil  rights : 

Being  destitute  of  a  proper  house  of  worship,  the 
congregation  determined  to  build  a  church  in  which 
divine  service  might  be  performed  with  decency,  and 
the  public  conveniently  accommodated. 

This  building  hath  been  attended  with  more  expense 
than  at  first  expected,  and  the  congregation,  composed 
of  the  greatest  numbers  of  poor  though  zealous  peo- 
ple, instead  of  being  able  by  their  subscriptions  to  dis- 
charge a  heavy  debt  contracted  for  in  the  erection  of 
the  edifice,  it  is  with  difficulty  a  competency  can  be 
raised  to  support  a  clergyman. 

In  this  disagreeable  situation,  the  trustees  of  St. 
Peter's  Church  aforesaid,  being  without  any  revenue 
or  funds  whatsoever  to  make  good  the  pressing  de- 


22  EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

mands  of  arrears  due  to  mechanics  for  work  and 
materials,  with  due  submission  are  induced  to  apply  to 
your  excellency  for  an  extension  of  that  protection 
(in  their  present  reduced  situation),  which  the  Univer- 
sal Church  hath  ever  experienced  from  the  power, 
wisdom,  piety,  and  zeal  of  her  eldest  son,  and  at  the 
same  time  earnestly  solicit  your  generous  aid  in  sup- 
port of  the  same  and  its  religious  establishments. 

Praying  that  the  Almighty  Donor  of  every  good  and 
perfect  gift  may  long  preserve  the  sacred  life  of  His 
Most  Christian  Majesty,  who  in  his  wisdom  has  been 
pleased  to  appoint  you  his  representative  to  these 
United  States,  and  that  your  administration  may  be 
permanent  amongst  us  and  happy  to  yourself. 

By  order  of  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church. 

W.  Tinney,  Secretary. 

New  York,  June  13,  1789. 

Under  the  same  date  urgent  appeals  were  addressed 
to  St.  John  de  Crevecceur,  the  Consul-General  of 
France,  to  M.  de  la  Forest,  the  Vice-Consul,  and  to  M. 
Otto,  secretary  of  the  consul.  When  the  trustees  met 
on  June  15th,  the  secretary  read  copies  of  the  letters  to 
Count  de  Moutiers,  to  the  Bishop  of  Cartagena,  and 
to  the  Catholics  of  South  America,  "representing  the 
deplorable  situation,  and  abject  state  of  the  finances 
of  said  church,  the  heavy  debts  remaining  unpaid,  the 
insufficiency  of  funds,  and  the  great  and  imminent  dan- 
ger of  losing  their  temple,  if  charitable,  Christian  suc- 
cor is  not  speedily  administered  to  their  relief." 

The  trustees  directed  that  a  letter  of  thanks  be  sent 
to  Dr.  Salvador  de  los  Monteros  for  his  many  kind- 
nesses, with  the  request  that  he  forward  the  respective 
memorials  to  the  Bishop  of  Cartagena  and  to  the 
Catholics  of  South  America. 


EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  23 

We  read  in  the  minutes  of  July  6th,  that  Count 
de  Moutiers  received  a  vote  of  thanks  for  his  gracious 
reception  of  the  appeal  which  he  readily  forwarded  to 
the  court  of  France.  "At  the  same  time  a  generous 
donation  from  himself,"  was  solicited. 

Unfortunately  these  financial  difficulties  were  aug- 
mented by  the  strained  relations  between  the  congre- 
gation and  the  Rev.  Andrew  Nugent.*  At  a  meeting 
held  on  August  3,  1789,  "Mr.  Lynch  moved  that  a 
committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  wait  on  Richard 
Harrison,  Esq.  (lawyer),  respecting  his  demand  and 
account  against  St.  Peter's  Church,  amounting  to  £199, 
3s,  8d,  New  York  currency,  being  amount  of  sundry 
charges  incurred  in  suits  at  law  between  the  trustees 
and  the  Rev.  Andrew  Nugent  and  his  adherents. 

"That  the  trustees'  committee  inform  Mr.  Harrison 
that  they  are  appointed  to  make  offer  of  a  bond  from 
the  trustees  payable  three  years  after  date  with  five  per 
cent,  interest." 

It  has  been  noted  that  the  trustees  imposed  a  fine  of 
eight  shillings  on  members  who  were  absent  from  a 
meeting  unless  excused  by  illness  or  by  important  busi- 
ness outside  the  city.  The  records  give  ample  evidence 
that  this  wise  provision  was  enforced  and  the  church 
treasury  profited  not  a  little  by  the  fines  collected  from 
the  delinquent  trustees.  Thus  on  August  17,  1789,  we 
find  this  entry : 

Dominick   Lynch,   Esq ....  Present. 

Mr.  George  Barnewall Absent Fined  8s. 

Mr.  Andrew  Morris Present. 

Mr.  John  Sullivan Absent Fined  8s. 

Mr.  Charles  Neylon Absent Fined  8s. 

Mr.  William  Mooney Absent Fined  8s. 

*  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.  198. 


24  EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

Mr.  Thomas  Stoughton.  . .  .Absent Fined  8s. 

Mr.  Jose  Roiz  Silva Absent Fined  8s. 

Mr.  Patrick  Farrell Present. 

Total  fines £2  8s. 

On  September  7,  1789,  the  trustees  met  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Jose  Silva.  "It  was  moved  that  the  Rev.  Mr. 
William  O'Brien,  the  present  pastor,  be  requested  to 
take  a  voyage  to  old  Spain  in  order  to  solicit  donations 
and  obtain  contributions  for  the  present  relief  and  per- 
manent establishment  of  said  church,  to  which,  with 
the  generous  frankness  familiar  to  himself,  he 
agreed."* 

At  the  same  meeting  a  letter  of  thanks  was  for- 
warded to  the  Hon.  Don  Diego  de  Gardoqui  for  his 
great  interest  in  the  church,  with  the  request  that  he 
come  to  their  assistance  again,  otherwise  the  "church 
will  be  finally  lost  to  the  present  proprietors." 

The  records  of  October  5th  give  in  full  the  letter  ad- 
dressed to  Don  Diego  de  Gardoqui,  who  was  about  to 
depart  for  Spain.  The  following  extracts  may  be 
found  interesting: 

"At  a  time  when  the  liberties  of  our  church  were 
grossly  infringed,  and  her  sacred  authority  insulted, 
you,  sir,  came  forward,  the  champion  of  her  violated 
rights,  and  afforded  a  generous  asylum  to  the  pastor 
and  his  scattered  flock  in  His  Majesty's  house."  The 
letter  concludes  as  follows :  "We  therefore  most  hum- 
bly entreat  that  you  will  please  to  represent  our  dis- 
tressed situation  at  His  Majesty's  throne,  and  petition 
for  us  his  royal  grant  that  our  Vicar  Apostolic  may 
be  enabled  to  depute  a  priest  to  quest  alms  for  our 
church  in  the  Island  of  Cuba,  this  being  the  only  pos- 

*  Records  of   St.   Peter's,   p.   24. 


EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  25 

sible  means  we  can  devise  to  save  us  and  our  infant 
church  from  total  destruction."  The  letter  was  signed 
by  the  Rev.  William  O'Brien  and  Dominick  Lynch  in 
behalf  of  the  trustees  and  the  congregation  of  St. 
Peter's. 

At  the  same  meeting  it  was  ordered  "that  Mr.  Dom- 
inick Lynch,  senior  trustee,  and  in  behalf  of  the  con- 
gregation of  St.  Peter's  Church,  sign  a  bond  in  favor 
of  Richard  Harrison,  attorney-at-law,  for  the  sum  of 
£88,  lis,  lOd,  currency,  payable  in  specie,  with  interest 
of  6  per  cent,  per  annum,  on  the  first  day  of  September, 
1790,  and  the  further  sum  of  £88,  lis,  lOd,  currency, 
with  6  per  cent,  per  annum  interest  on  the  first  day  of 
September,  1791,  being  for  amount  of  costs  in  defend- 
ing the  rights  of  said  church."  A  copy  of  the  bond  is 
found  among  the  minutes. 

Under  date  of  October  8,  1789,  we  find  the  reply 
of  Don  Diego  de  Gardoqui  to  the  letter  of  appeal 
which  he  had  received  from  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's. 
The  Spanish  minister  expressed  his  cordial  apprecia- 
tion of  the  sentiments  which  the  congregation  of  St. 
Peter's  entertained  for  His  Majesty,  the  King  of 
Spain,  and  for  his  plenipotentiary,  and  gave  assurances 
that  as  soon  as  he  arrived  at  the  court  he  would  at 
once  make  known  to  the  King  the  extreme  poverty  of 
the  infant  church  in  New  York,  and  he  sincerely  hoped 
that  means  would  be  found  to  establish  the  true  re- 
ligion in  this  country  on  a  lasting  basis. 

On  November  2,  1789,  the  minutes  of  the  meeting  of 
trustees  have  these  items  of  interest.  It  was  ordered, 
"That  a  letter  be  written  to  St.  John  de  Crevecoeur,  one 
of  the  first  trustees,  reminding  him  of  his  subscription 
to  St.  Peter's  Church,  £10,  in  the  year  1785.     Secondly, 


26  EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

it  was  ordered  that  a  letter  be  written,  or  two  memo- 
rials in  the  Spanish  language,  to  the  Spanish  Governor 
and  citizens  of  Havana  and  the  Island  of  Cuba,  setting 
forth  the  distressed  situation  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
and  that  the  same  will  be  inevitably  lost  to  the  Catholic 
congregation  in  the  city  of  New  York,  unless  charit- 
able and  benevolent  contributions  are  obtained  for  the 
relief  of  the  same."  Mr.  Lynch  proposed  that  each 
trustee  advance  the  sum  of  $20,  part  of  which  was  to 
be  appropriated  for  the  use  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  O'Brien, 
to  defray  his  unavoidable  expenses  (if  any)  on  his 
intended  voyage  to  Havana.  The  trustees  subscribed 
the  required  amount,  and  Father  O'Brien  repaired  to 
Havana  with  the  two  memorials  written  in  Spanish. 

At  the  meeting  of  January  4,  1790,  Mr.  Morris 
requested  that  a  collection  be  taken  up  to  defray  the 
"expenses  of  the  passage  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Andrew 
Nugent  to  France  in  the  packet  Le  Telemaque,  now 
in  this  port,  and  advertised  to  sail  this  day,"  where- 
upon the  following  was  read  and  adopted : 

"That  the  subscribers,  actuated  by  pure  motives  of 
benevolence  toward  the  Rev.  Andrew  Nugent,  whose 
present  distressed  situation  being  represented  to  us  by 
Mr.  George  Shea,  we  have  thought  proper  to  subscribe 
and  pay  the  following  sums  to  be  solely  appropriated 
for  discharging  the  expense  of  his  passage  and  other 
incidental  charges  attending  his  voyage  to  France  in 
the  packet  Le  Telemaque."  The  trustees  subscribed 
among  themselves  the  sum  of  £17. 

Under  date  of  April  10,  1792,  we  find  the  following 
memorial  addressed  to  Trinity  Church  corporation. 

The  trustees  of  the  church  of  St.  Peter  in  the  city 
of  New  York  beg  leave  most  respectfully  to  state  the 


facJu  ^^Ae  (Storzectsnt^J 


4>7d£ 


fear- &&?£. 


EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  27 

following  facts:  That  encouraged  by  that  spirit  of 
liberality  contained  in  the  Constitution  of  this  State 
(which  has  and  must  ever  be  the  admiration  of  all 
who  enjoy  it),  they  were  induced  to  erect  a  church  to 
the  honor  of  that  Deity  in  whom  all  Christians  con- 
fide, on  lands  belonging  to  your  corporation.  That  at 
the  time  said  church  was  erected  the  congregation 
were  in  united  harmony  and  peace,  but  unfortunately 
certain  differences  that  afterwards  took  place,  and 
which  we  most  sincerely  lament,  tended  to  depress  and 
reduce  our  finances.  That  their  said  church  has  been 
compelled  to  borrow  monies,  both  from  the  Bank  of 
New  York  and  individuals  for  its  support,  which 
money  to  a  very  considerable  amount  is  still  unpaid. 
That  from  these  circumstances,  the  remembrance  of 
which  to  us  is  painful,  and  which  can  not  be  pleasing 
for  you  to  hear,  we  have  been  unable  to  discharge  the 
ground  rent,  so  justly  your  due,  and  having  learned 
that  the  secretary  of  your  corporation  had  received 
directions  to  commence  suit  for  the  recovery  of  the 
same,  confident  of  your  generosity,  acquainted  with 
your  resources,  and  relying  upon  your  charity,  we 
are  emboldened  not  only  to  pray  for  your  interposi- 
tion, but  to  request  your  further  benevolence.  We 
earnestly  solicit  an  abatement  of  the  debt  itself  by 
arrears,  and  of  our  annual  rent,  in  such  proportion  as 
your  liberality  shall  suggest,  and  we  will,  tho'  poor, 
endeavor  to  discharge  it  punctually,  and  as  we  in- 
crease in  our  temporalities,  we  shall  with  grateful 
hearts  remember  such  relief  as  in  our  present  dis- 
tressed circumstances  we  hope  to  experience  from  the 
corporation  of  Trinity  Church. 

(Signed)  Dominick  Lynch, 

John  Sullivan, 
Jose  Silva, 
Thomas  Stoughton, 
Andrew  Morris. 


28  EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

On  November  20,  1792,  at  the  usual  meeting  of  the 
trustees,  these  measures  were  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  a  second  memorial  be  made  out  to 
the  corporation  of  Trinity  Church,  stating  the  return 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Brien  to  this  city,  on  whose 
success  in  foreign  ports,  say  Havana  and  Mexico,  we 
placed  great  confidence,  but  to  our  sorrow  found  he 
has  been  greatly  disappointed  therein,  and  to  such  a 
degree  that  his  collection  does  not  amount  to  the  pres- 
ent existing  debts  of  the  church. 

Resolved,  That  two  or  three  able  workmen,  good 
master  carpenters,  be  called  upon  as  soon  as  possible, 
with  verbal  notification  to  meet  them  on  Thursday,  the 
22d,  and  Saturday,  the  24th  inst.,  November,  1792,  in 
St.  Peter's  Church,  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  such  days,  there  to  take  measurements  in  order  to 
make  plans  and  estimate  the  cost  of  erecting  the  fol- 
lowing, observing  to  particularize  the  charge  of  each, 
viz. : 

1.  For  an  altar  and  sanctuary. 

2.  For  a  sacristy  or  vestryroom,  16x12  feet,  and  9 

feet  high,  adjoining  the  church  on  the  west. 

3.  For  new  pews  for  lower  floor  and  galleries. 

4.  For  galleries  and  organ  loft. 

5.  For  taking  up  the  present,   sawing  the  plank 

whole  length  in  equal  halves,  and  relaying  the 
floor. 

6.  For  a  pulpit. 

7.  For  a  portico  with  stairs  to  the  galleries. 

8.  For  a  steeple  upon  the  plan  of  that  of  the  new 

church  in  Newark. 

Agreeable  to  the  foregoing  resolution,  Joseph  New- 
ton, one  of  the  master  builders  in  this  city,  was  notified 
to  meet  the  following  gentlemen  in  St.  Peter's  Church 


EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  29 

at  11  o'clock  on  Thursday  morning,  the  22d  inst.,  No- 
vember, 1792: 

Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Brien, 
Mr.  Dominick  Lynch, 
Mr.  Thomas  Stoughton, 
Mr.  Andrew  Morris, 
Mr.  Charles  Neylon. 

Mr.  Newton  having  met  the  foregoing  gentlemen  in 
the  church,  agreeable  to  appointment,  where  he  took 
measurements,  has  since  informed  the  Rev.  Mr. 
O'Brien  that  he  would  not  undertake  the  erecting  of 
before  mentioned  by  estimate,  but  that  he  would  en- 
gage to  accomplish  the  same  by  day's  work.  He  has 
since  informed  Mr.  Andrew  Morris  that  the  probable 
cost  may  be: 

For  altar,  pulpit  and  pews £500 

For.  portico  and  stairs £500 

For  galleries £400 

For  sacristy £300 

Which  sums  together  make £1,700 

and  he  gives  the  opinion  that  the  whole  may  be  ac- 
complished for  £2,000. 

On  December  9,  1792,  the  following  order  was  sent 
to  Thomas  Barry  at  Albany: 

The  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  having  resolved 
to  make  next  spring  as  many  improvements  in  that 
edifice  as  their  funds  will  admit  of,  it  is  at  their  request 
we  write  to  you,  desiring  you  will  purchase  for  their 
account  on  the  best  terms  in  your  power : 

One  thousand  pine  boards  and  one  thousand  five 
hundred  white  pine  plank,  which  are  intended  to  make 
the  galleries  and  pews,  but  as  they  will  require  to  be 
well  seasoned  before  they  can  be  fit  to  work  up,  you 
will  be  pleased  to  have  them  properly  laid  up  after 
you  have  made  the  purchase,  which  is  entirely  left  to 
your  best  judgment,  as  also  your  sending  the  same 


30  EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

down  to  this  city  as  early  and  cheap  as  you  can  in  the 
spring.  Their  amount  of  cost  and  charges  you  can 
value  on  us  for,  and  shall  be  duly  paid.  We  are  all 
endeavoring  to  lay  in  the  materials  necessary  for  a 
church  of  good  quality,  and  as  reasonable  as  possible. 
We  are,  with  much  regard, 

Lynch  and  Stoughton. 

Under  date  of  May  24,  1793,  we  have  the  following: 
Joseph  de  Jaudenes  and  Joseph  Ignatius  de  Viar, 
Philadelphia  : 

We  had  the  honor  to  address  you  the  18th  of  July 
last,  as  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  this  city, 
acknowledging,  with  grateful  thanks,  the  receipt  of 
$1,000,  which  the  illustrious  Bishop  and  the  Cabildo  of 
the  city  of  Puebla  de  los  Angeles  had  been  pleased  to 
send  through  your  hands  as  a  donation  for  the  present 
urgencies  and  the  use  of  the  church.  We  have  now 
to  request,  in  behalf  of  said  Catholic  congregation, 
who  always  place  the  greatest  confidence  in  your  wish 
to  promote  their  welfare,  that  you  will  do  them  the 
favor  to  convey  their  united  sincere  thanks  to  the 
Bishop  and  Cabildo  for  this  temporal  proof  of  their 
generous  and  charitable  present,  which  has  filled  the 
hearts  of  the  congregation  with  gratitude.  The  deed 
is  committed  to  posterity  for  succeeding  generations  to 
learn  and  admire  their  benefactors,  who  in  the  hour 
of  distress  enabled  them  to  raise  and  to  secure  a  temple 
for  the  culture  of  divine  service,  and  to  the  extension 
and  honor  of  our  holy  religion.  We  mention  with 
satisfaction  and  pleasure  that  from  the  beneficent  con- 
tributions amounting  to  $4,920  (exclusive  of  the  afore- 
said gift  from  the  Bishop  and  Cabildo  of  Puebla  de 
los  Angeles),  received  through  the  hands  of  our 
worthy  pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Brien,  from 
His  Catholic  Majesty's  faithful  and  loyal  subjects,  St. 
Peter's  Church  has  been  extricated  from  the  danger 
which  it  was  exposed  to  by  the  accumulation  of  heavy 
debts.    The  present  urgencies  of  the  church  consist  in 


EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S  31 

the  want  of  funds  to  defray  the  expenses  of  making  an 
altar  and  pulpit,  pews,  galleries,  and  other  indispen- 
sable conveniences,  but  having  no  revenue  whatever, 
the  contributions  of  the  flock,  although  increasing  in 
numbers,  are  generally  poor  and  scarcely  able  to  main- 
tain one  clergyman.  Therefore,  to  complete  these  nec- 
essary works,  we  are  still  compelled  to  solicit  the  aid 
and  assistance  of  the  benevolent  and  charitable,  to  con- 
clude what  they  have  so  far  forwarded  with  distin- 
guished merit  and  religious  piety.  The  estimates  of 
cost  amount  to  $10,000.  The  congregation  feel  a 
comfort  in  laying  before  you,  gentlemen,  their  wants 
and  situation,  from  a  conviction  of  your  kindness  and 
protection,  and  that  the  information  you  will  be  pleased 
to  give  to  the  person  who  desired  you  to  acquaint  him 
of  the  particular  exigencies  of  the  church,  will  be  con- 
veyed in  the  strongest  terms  and  expressions,  in  order 
that  the  Bishop  and  Cabildo  of  Puebla  de  los  Angeles 
may  be  satisfactorily  informed  of  the  true  state  of  St. 
Peter's  Church,  their  kind  promise  of  further  contrib- 
uting to  the  grateful  congregation.  We  have  no  doubt 
of  experiencing  through  your  auspicious  channel  all 
necessary  succor  and  support,  and  thereby  add  to  the 
many  favors  already  received. 

We  are,  with  sentiments  of  great  respect  and  sincere 
esteem,  gentlemen, 
Your  most  obedient  servants, 

Dominick  Lynch, 
Jose  Roiz  Silva, 
Thomas  Stoughton, 
John  Sullivan. 
On  March  30,  1800,  these  resolutions  were  unani- 
mously passed : 

Resolved,  That  a  free  school  for  the  education  of 
children  be  and  is  hereby  established,  and  that  a  proper 
master  be  chosen  to  superintend  said  school.* 

Secondly,  that  Messrs.  Morris,  Neylon,  Heeney,  and 

*  The  first  public  school  was  opened  May  19,  1806.  Bourne,  History 
of  Public  School  Society,  p.  9. 


32  EARLIEST  RECORDS  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

the  Rev.  Dr.  O'Brien  be  and  are  hereby  charged  for 
the  due  and  immediate  execution  of  the  same. 

Again  on  the  thirteenth  of  December,  1801,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed 
to  look  out  for  a  proper  school-room  and  dwelling- 
house  for  the  clergy,  and  report  thereon  before  the 
first  of  February  next. 

The  minutes  of  October  17,  1809,  give  an  insight 
into  the  relations  existing  between  trustees  and  clergy : 

St.  Peter's  Church, 
New  York,  Oct.  17,  1809. 
At  a  full  meeting  of  the  trustees,  consisting  of  the 
hereafter  mentioned  names,  three  letters  wrote  by  Mr. 
William  Gaynor  to  individual  trustees  were  laid  before 
the  board,  which  being  read  with  deliberation,  and 
their  contents  duly  considered : 

Represent  to  Mr.  William  Gaynor  that  the  trustees, 
having  no  control  over  the  spiritual  functions  of  the 
clergy,  their  province  being  confined  to  the  temporali- 
ties of  the  church  only,  they  can  not  oblige  the  rev- 
erend clergy  to  attend  funerals  either  in  carriages  or 
on  foot. 

The  trustees  have  never  heard  of  any  deficiency  in 
the  duty  of  the  officiating  clergy  of  St.  Peter's  Church ; 
they  are  ready  day  and  night  to  attend,  and  as  far  as 
they  know,  do  strictly  comply  with  the  extensive  du- 
ties required  from  them  as  pastors  and  divines  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  in  the  opinion  of  the 
trustees  are  worthy  of  being  recommended  individ- 
ually to  the  congregation  by  all  its  members. 

(Signed)  Thomas  Stoughton, 

Andrew  Morris, 
Michael  Roth, 
John  Hinton, 
James  Walsh. 
N.B. — Mr.    Patrick   McKay   was   present   but   dis- 
sented from  the  above  resolve. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Completion  of  St.  Peter's. 

The  Church  completed  by  Father  O'Brien. — 
Heroic  Work  of  Clergy  during  Yellow  Fever  Rav- 
ages.— Mother  Seton  makes  her  Profession  of 
Faith  in  St.  Peter's. — Illness  and  Death  of 
Father  O'Brien. — Memorial  to  the  Legislature. 
— Distinguished  Laymen  of  St.  Peter's  Congrega- 
tion.— List  of  Pastors,  Assistants,  and  Trustees. 

Father  O'Brien  was  a  zealous,  tactful,  capable  pas- 
tor. At  the  request  of  the  trustees  he  visited  Mexico 
to  collect  funds  for  the  church.  The  Archbishop  of 
Mexico  at  this  time  was  Don  Alonzo  Nufies  de  Haro, 
who  had  studied  with  Father  O'Brien  at  Bologna  in 
Italy,  and  now  extended  a  hearty  welcome  to  his 
former  classmate.  From  the  records  of  St.  Peter's, 
Father  O'Brien  seems  to  have  collected  $4,920  in 
Mexico,  and  received  a  donation  of  $1,000  from  the 
Bishop  and  Chapter  of  Puebla  de  los  Angeles.  With 
these  funds  he  put  in  pews,  erected  the  tower  and  pul- 
pit and  portico,  all  being  completed  by  1794.  He  also 
procured  some  valuable  paintings  and  other  ornaments. 
Bishop  Bayley  has  this  note  in  his  history,  page  65: 
"Mr.  Velasquez  informs  me  that  the  painting  of  the 
Crucifixion  in  St.  Peter's  was  by  Jose  Maria  Vallejo, 
a  celebrated  Mexican  painter."  While  Father  O'Brien 
was  in  Mexico,  the  congregation  of  St.  Peter's  was  in 
charge  of  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Burke,*  who  assisted  there 
in  1789,  1791,  and  1793.     His  residence  is  given  in  the 

♦Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.  202. 


34  THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

Catholic  Directory  as  41  Partition  Street  (now  Fulton 
Street),  between  Broadway  and  the  North  River,  and 
the  Ordo  for  1801  says  of  him :  "Obiit  in  itinere  mer- 
sus  flumine,  mense  Febraii,  1800"    j 

During  the  awful  visitations  of  yellow  fever  in  1795, 
1798  and  1799,  1801  and  1805,  Father  O'Brien  ren- 
dered heroic  service  to  the  victims.  In  1798  three 
thousand  succumbed  to  the  dread  disease,  and  of  these 
one  hundred  belonged  to  St.  Peter's  flock.  Hardie* 
bears  this  testimony  of  Father  O'Brien  and  his  com- 
panions, in  the  ravages  of  1805  :  "The  three  clergymen 
of  the  Romish  Church,  namely,  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 
O'Brien,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Matthew  O'Brien,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Hurley ,f  were  incessant  in  administering  spiritual 
consolation  to  the  sick  of  their  congregation,  nor  did 
they  in  the  discharge  of  this  duty  avoid  the  most  filthy 
cellars  or  most  infected  places.  Yet  none  of  them  was 
in  the  least  infected  with  fever  during  the  season." 

Father  O'Brien  was  already  breaking  down  under  his 
arduous  labors.  In  1803,  his  brother,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mat- 
thew O'Brien,!  who  had  labored  at  Albany  from  1798 
to  1800,  was  appointed  to  St.  Peter's,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1807.  Dr.  O'Brien  was  an  eloquent 
preacher,  and  had  published  a  volume  of  sermons  in 
Ireland.  In  1805  he  received  into  the  Church  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Bayley  Seton,  who  afterwards  founded  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  in  the  United  States.  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Seton  belonged  to  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
families  of  the  country,  and  her  conversion  was  a 
great  sensation  in  those  days.  In  the  spring  of  1805 
she  made  her  profession  of  faith,  received  her  first 

*  History  of  New  York. 

*  Historical  Records  ant 
Ibid.,   Vol.    I.,   p.   204. 


J  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.  205. 


THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S  35 

holy  communion  October  25th,  and  was  confirmed  in 
St.  Peter's  Church.  A  few  years  later  she  established 
the  religious  community  of  which  her  two  sisters-in- 
law,  the  Misses  Seton,  and  later  two  of  her  daughters, 
became  members.  She  died  in  1821,  with  such  a  repu- 
tation for  sanctity  that  the  process  of  her  canonization 
has  already  been  instituted  in  Rome. 

Father  William  O'Brien  had  also  a  reputation  for 
learning,  and  had  written  a  life  of  St.  Paul,  which  was 
announced  but  never  published.  In  1800  the  debt  on 
the  church  amounted  to  $6,500,  and  the  annual  income 
from  pew-rents  and  collections  was  about  $1,500.  The 
expenses,  including  interest,  were  about  $1,400.  How- 
ever, the  congregation  was  increasing  rapidly,  and  steps 
were  soon  taken  to  complete  the  church  by  erecting  the 
steeple.  An  organ  had  been  procured,  a  free  or  charity 
school  was  founded,  and  the  Catholic  body  was  already 
planning  for  the  erection  of  a  second  church.  In  1808, 
years  and  ill-health  compelled  Father  O'Brien  to  relin- 
quish his  charge.  The  trustees  made  provision  for 
their  devoted  pastor,  as  we  learn  from  the  following 
record  of  January  22,  1810: 

The  letter  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Brien,  dated 
December  15,  1809,  addressed  to  Mr.  Andrew  Morris, 
our  treasurer,  having  been  presented  and  read,  it  was 
unanimously  resolved  that  although  the  church  has  for 
some  years  past  been  deprived  of  the  services  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  William  O'Brien,  and  obliged  to  have  his 
former  occupancy  supplied  by  another  clergyman,  and 
that  the  funds  of  St.  Peter's  Church  are  inadequate  to 
their  wishes,  they,  out  of  regard  and  respect  to  the 
Rev.  Mr.  O'Brien,  have  resolved  to  allow  him  $500  per 
annum,  the  same  sum  they  pay  to  the  present  active 
officiating  clergymen  that  now  serve  the  church.     Or- 


36  THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

dered  that  a  copy  of  these  resolves,  signed  by  our  sec- 
retary, be  given  to  Mr.  Idley  to  deliver  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
William  O'Brien. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  Board, 

Michael  Roth, 

Secretary. 

Father  O'Brien  labored  under  his  infirmities  until 
May  14,  1816,  when  he  was  called  to  his  reward.  He 
was  a  great  loss  to  the  Church  in  those  days,  not  only 
because  he  was  so  successful  in  bringing  order  out  of 
chaos  in  New  York,  but  because  he  was  also  a  val- 
uable assistant  to  the  Prefect  Apostolic,  who  sent  him 
on  most  important  and  delicate  missions.  He  was 
buried  beside  the  church.  The  original  monument 
erected  over  his  remains  has  been  inserted  in  the  wall 
of  the  passage  leading  to  the  sacristy  in  the  basement 
of  the  new  church.  A  tablet  bears  this  inscription : 
Under  this  humble  turf 
Repose  the  mortal  remains 

OF  THE 

much  to  be  regretted  and  once  venerable 

Pastor  of  St.  Peter's, 

The  Rev.  WILLIAM  V.  O'BRIEN, 

Who  departed  this  life  on  the  14th  of  May,  1816, 

Aged  75  Years. 

Who  is  there  that  has  not  heard  of  his  piety, 

his  benevolence,  his  charity,  his  zeal, 

during  the  ravages  of  the  yellow 

fever  in  the  memorable  years 

of  1805  and  1808? 

Yes !     "I  was  sick  and  you  visited  Me." — Matt.  xxv.  36. 

Reader !     Pass  not  by  without  offering  up  some  short  prayer 
for  the  benefit  of  his  soul,  for  remember  "It  is  a  holy  and 
wholesome  thought  to  pray  for  the  dead,  that  they  may  be 
loosed  from  their  sins." — 2  Mach.  xii.  46. 
R.  I.  P. 


THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S  37 

In  1806,  the  Catholics  of  New  York,  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  addressed 
a  memorial  to  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New 
York.    It  reads  as  follows  : 

To  the  Honorable  the  Legislature  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  in  Senate  and  Assembly  Con- 
vened : 

The  memorial  of  certain  citizens  resident  in  the 
city  of  New  York  professing  the  Roman  Catholic  re- 
ligion, respectfully  represent: 

That  your  memorialists,  who  compose  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  Catholic  population  of  this  city,  while 
conscious  of  possessing  sentiments  of  the  purest  and 
most  steadfast  allegiance  and  loyal  attachment  to  the 
Constitution  and  Government  of  the  United  States  in 
general,  and  of  this  State  in  particular,  and  of  discharg- 
ing their  social  and  civil  duties  with  a  fidelity  inferior 
to  that  of  no  other  class  of  their  fellow  citizens,  feel 
with  the  deepest  concern  that  they  are  deprived  of  the 
benefits  of  a  free  and  equal  participation  of  all  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  citizens  granted  by  the  en- 
lightened framers  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  (of  which  it  forms  one  of  the  most  amicable 
features),  and  by  the  third  section  of  the  Constitution 
of  this  State  to  all  denominations  of  Christians,  of  what 
religious  profession  or  worship  soever,  without  dis- 
crimination or  preference:  in  direct  contradiction  to 
this  liberal  principle,  the  form  of  oath  prescribed  to 
be  taken  previously  on  entering  on  any  office,  civil  or 
military,  in  this  State,  by  subjecting  them  to  a  religious 
test,  to  which  their  consciences  are  opposed,  operates 
on  them  as  an  absolute  disqualification;  less  injurious 
to  the  feelings  and  degrading  to  the  character  of  your 
memorialists  would  have  been,  if  the  Constitution  had 
not  by  that  section  held  up  to  their  reasonable  expecta- 
tions a  fair  participation  of  the  advantages,  as  well  as 
the  burdens  of  citizenship;  than  to  have  the  cup  of 


38  THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

equalized  rights  dashed  from  their  lips  by  the  subse- 
quent determination,  and  an  invidious  barrier,  surmount- 
able only  by  perjury  or  apostasy,  placed  between  them 
and  those  rights.  Though  yielding  to  none  of  their  fellow 
citizens  in  attachment  to  the  prosperity  and  independ- 
ence of  the  State,  your  memorialists  can  not  persuade 
themselves  that  the  framers  of  the  Constitution  in 
1777,  or  the  revisers  of  the  laws  in  1801,  intended  that 
the  form  of  oath  above  referred  to  should  leave  them 
and  their  descendants  no  alternative  between  a  total 
exclusion  from  every  office  of  honor,  profit,  or  trust 
in  the  State,  and  a  virtual  abjuration  of  the  religious 
principles  of  their  forefathers  and  themselves ;  they  are 
willing  (consistently  with  these  principles),  solemnly 
and  without  equivocation,  or  mental  reservation,  to 
swear :  that  they  renounce  and  abjure  all  allegiance  and 
subjection  to  every  foreign  power,  howsoever  titled,  in 
all  matters,  not  only  civil,  but  also  ecclesiastical,  as  far 
as  they  may  interfere  with  or  in  the  smallest  degree 
affect  the  freedom,  independence,  or  safety  of  the  State, 
but,  as  the  Bishop  of  Rome  is  the  acknowledged 
Supreme  Head  of  the  profession  of  which  they  are 
members,  they  can  not  renounce  and  abjure  all  subjec- 
tion to  the  decrees  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  as 
promulgated  by  him  in  matters  purely  and  solely  spir- 
itual, and  which  can  not  interfere  with  the  civil  or 
religious  rights  of  their  brethren  of  other  denomina- 
tions, without  a  total  dereliction  of  the  religious  princi- 
ples they  profess,  which  inculcate  an  abhorrence  of  per- 
jury and  other  crimes  and  vices  that  can  injure  or  dis- 
turb society.  None  of  those  States  which  adopt  the 
liberal  and  just  principles  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  can  exhibit  an  instance  of  any  danger  or 
inconvenience  having  resulted  from  the  non-existence 
of  the  religious  test. 

Your  memorialists,  relying  on  the  justice  of  their 
claim  to  the  unprejudiced  liberality  of  this  honorable 
Legislature,  flatter  themselves  the  obnoxious  part  of 


THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S  39 

the  law  will  be  repealed,  or  that  it  may  be  modified  or 
explained  in  a  way  that  may  be  consonant  to  the  spirit 
of  this  memorial,  so  that  they  and  numerous  other  citi- 
zens of  the  same  profession,  resident  in  the  various  dis- 
tricts of  the  State,  may  have  cause  to  unite  with  their 
fellow  citizens  in  general,  in  self-gratulation  for  the 
unshackled  enjoyment  of  the  invaluable  blessing  of 
living  under  a  liberal  government  and  the  influence  of 
benign  laws,  exempt  from  the  unjust  and  oppressive 
disqualifications  on  the  score  of  religion  which  disfig- 
ure the  politics  of  several  of  the  European  nations,  and 
your  memorialists  will  ever  pray,  etc. 

Signed  at  a  general  meeting  of  the  Roman  Catholics 
of  the  city  of  New  York,  convened  6th  January,  1806. 

Andrew  Morris,  Chairman. 

John  Byrne,  Secretary. 

The  records  have  the  following  note :  "This  petition 
had  nearly  one  thousand  three  hundred  subscribers  in 
a  few  days." 

The  records  also  give  an  extract  from  The  American 
Citizen,  February  12,  1806 : 

"The  subjoined  petition  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  which  embraces  a  great  number  of  very  re- 
spectable citizens,  is  published  to  show  that  their  claim 
which  has  recently  been  introduced  in  the  Legislature 
with  success,  is  just,  and  such  as  no  man  exempt  from 
religious  prejudice  can  object  to.  We  congratulate  the 
Church  on  the  relief  which  has  been  granted.  Religion 
is  most  prosperous  when  it  is  most  free.  In  all  coun- 
tries religious  distinctions  are  odious,  but  in  none  are 
they  more  so  than  in  this.  Our  city  representation  de- 
serve credit  for  the  zeal  and  ability  which  they  have 
manifested  on  this  occasion."  It  was  not  until  1784  that 
the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York  repealed  the 
law  of  1700,  which  condemned  to  perpetual  imprison- 


40  THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

ment  any  "Popish  priest  and  Jesuits"  found  in  the 
colony  of  New  York.  In  1777,  when  the  Constitution 
was  framed  at  Kingston,  a  clause  was  inserted  com- 
pelling all  those  who  desired  to  become  naturalized 
citizens  to  take  an  oath  of  allegiance.  On  this  occasion, 
the  celebrated  John  Jay,  afterwards  Chief  Justice  of 
the  United  States,  succeeded  in  inserting  a  special 
clause  against  Catholics,  of  whom  he  was  ever  an  im- 
placable enemy.  According  to  this  enactment,  Catho- 
lics had  "to  abjure  and  renounce  all  allegiance  and  sub- 
jection to  all  and  every  foreign  king,  prince,  potentate 
and  state,  in  all  matters  ecclesiastical  and  civil. " 
Hence  Catholics  from  foreign  countries  were  excluded 
from  the  right  of  citizenship  by  the  State  Constitution 
of  1777.  These  clauses  requiring  the  oath  of  allegiance 
as  a  condition  of  naturalization  were  annulled  when 
Congress  assumed  the  power  of  controlling  the  Natur- 
alization Laws.  However,  while  these  clauses  were 
eliminated  from  the  Naturalization  Laws  in  this  State, 
they  remained  in  the  official  oath  prescribed  for  those 
entering  on  public  office,  until  abrogated  as  a  conse- 
quence of  the  agitation  begun  by  the  trustees  of  St. 
Peter's  Church  in  1806,  "on  the  occasion  of  Francis 
Cooper  being  elected  a  member  of  the  Assembly  from 
this  city."* 

On  Christmas  Eve,  1806,  a  band  of  rioters  sur- 
rounded the  church,  expecting  to  enter  it  during  mid- 
night Mass  and  raise  a  disturbance.  However,  there 
was  no  Mass  at  midnight,  and  when  the  mob  attempted 
violence  they  were  driven  away  by  members  of  the 
congregation. 

We  can  not  close  this  sketch  of  old  St.  Peter's  with- 

*  Bayley,   p.   S3. 


THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S  41 

out  a  tribute  to  the  distinguished  laymen*  who  rendered 
great  services  to  the  cause  of  religion  in  those  days. 

Dominick  Lynch  held  the  highest  place  in  commer- 
cial and  social,  as  well  as  religious  circles.  Lynch  and 
Stoughton  were  partners  in  business,  and  both  took  a 
great  interest  in  the  building  of  St.  Peter's.  They  were 
among  the  first  trustees,  and  advanced  the  money  to 
pay  for  the  ground  leased  from  Trinity  Corporation. 
In  1790,  when  the  Catholics  of  the  United  States  pre- 
sented an  address  of  congratulation  to  George  Wash- 
ington on  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  Dominick 
Lynch  was  one  of  the  four  laymen  who  signed  it.  The 
Lynches  were  among  the  select  three  hundred  invited 
to  Washington's  inauguration  ball.  Daniel  Carroll, 
brother  of  Bishop  Carroll,  and  a  member  of  Congress, 
was  sponsor  for  Margaret  Lynch. 

His  Excellency  Didacus  de  Gardoqui  was  the  god- 
father of  Alexander  Didacus  Lynch. 

Dominick  Lynch  had  twelve  children,  who  contracted 
mixed  marriages,  and  unfortunately  nearly  all  aban- 
doned the  faith  of  which  their  father  was  so  distin- 
guished a  champion.  Dominick  Lynch  and  his  wife 
repose  in  the  family  vault  under  old  St.  Patrick's. 

Cornelius  Heeney  died  a  bachelor.  He  was  asso- 
ciated with  John  Jacob  Astor  in  the  fur  business,  and 
amassed  a  considerable  fortune.  He  donated  about 
$60,000  to  works  of  charity  and  religion,  an  immense 
sum  in  his  day.  Among  his  gifts  to  old  St.  Peter's 
were  the  pews  and  gallery  fittings,  recently  removed. 
His  greatest  charity  was  the  orphans.  He  gave  $18,000 
to  establish  the  orphan  asylum  in  Prince  Street,f  and 

*  T.  F.  Meehan,  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  285. 
t  These  buildings   now   form  part  of   St.    Patrick's   Parochial   School. 


42  THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

induced  Mother  Seton  to  take  charge  of  it.  Later  he 
gave  over  some  property  adjoining  the  asylum.  He 
built  St.  Patrick's  Free  School  for  Girls  and  a  half- 
orphan  asylum,  and  donated  a  lot  adjacent  to  the 
graveyard.  With  Andrew  Morris  he  took  title  to  the 
property  on  which  the  present  Cathedral  stands.  From 
1818  to  1822,  he  served  in  the  Legislature  as  a  member 
of  Assembly.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Mr.  Heeney 
was  the  legal  guardian  and  patron  of  John  McCloskey, 
afterwards  Archbishop  of  New  York,  and  the  first 
American  Cardinal,  and  was  instrumental  in  having 
him  sent  to  Mt.  St.  Mary's,  Emmittsburg.  Cornelius 
Heeney  spent  almost  his  entire  income  in  charity,  and 
on  May  10,  1845,  had  incorporated  "The  Trustees  and 
Associates  of  the  Brooklyn  Benevolent  Society,"  to 
perpetuate  his  benefactions  to  the  poor.  The  income 
from  his  estate  amounts  to  $25,000  a  year,  which,  with 
the  exception  of  five  per  cent,  for  administration  ex- 
penses, is  devoted  to  charity.  Since  his  death,  above 
one  million  dollars  have  been  devoted  to  the  relief  of 
the  poor.  During  the  year  ending  March  1,  1906,  the 
receipts  were  $26,039.05,  and  the  expenditures  for  the 
Borough  of  Brooklyn,  $22,655.18.  He  died  May  3, 
1848,  and  was  buried  in  the  vault  in  the  rear  of  St. 
Paul's  Church,  Brooklyn.  His  noble  and  fruitful  life 
should  be  an  incentive  to  the  Catholic  laity,  by  whom 
his  name  should  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance. 

Andrew  Morris  was  a  soap  maker.  He  was  assist- 
ant alderman  from  the  first  ward  from  1802  to  1806, 
and  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in  1816.  He  was  a 
generous  supporter  of  St.  Peter's,  to  which  he  contrib- 
uted $1,000  on  two  occasions. 

Francis  Cooper  was  an  assemblyman  in  1807,  1808, 


THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S  43 

1809,  1815,  and  1826.  As  agent  of  the  trustees  of  St. 
Patrick's  and  St.  Peter's  Church,  he  purchased  the 
ground  on  which  the  new  Cathedral  was  built. 

Don  Thomas  Stoughton  was  the  Spanish  Consul. 
His  wife  was  the  sister  of  Dominick  Lynch. 

Jose  Roiz  Silva  was  a  wealthy  Portuguese  merchant, 
in  whose  family  the  Rev.  Charles  Whelan,  the  first 
resident  pastor  of  St.  Peter's,  was  chaplain. 

One  relic  remains  of  old  St.  Peter's,  and  still  hangs 
under  the  roof  of  the  church — the  old  bell  which  called 
the  parishioners  to  Mass,  though  its  tones  have  been 
silenced  for  many  years.  It  bears  the  following  in- 
scription : 

The  Rev.  William  O'Brien,  Rev.  Matthew  O'Brien, 
Pastors  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  York.  Thomas 
Stoughton,  John  Sullivan,  Cornelius  Heeney,  Michael 
Roth,  Francis  Cooper,  John  Byrne,  Andrew  Morris. 

Cosse,  Founder. 

Made  under  the  inspection  of  Charles  Sherry  at 
Nantes,  30th  of  June,  1806. 

We  must  now  take  leave  of  old  St.  Peter's.  Its 
course  under  Father  Kohlmann  was  peaceful.  We  have 
seen  the  frail  bark  weather  the  storm  of  dissension  and 
want,  and  emerge  victorious  at  last  "per  tot  casus,  per 
tot  discrimina  rerum."  It  is  significant  that  the  first 
church  in  New  York  was  dedicated  to  St.  Peter  "at 
the  request  of  the  congregation."  That  attachment  to 
St.  Peter  has  been  handed  down  as  a  sacred  inheritance 
from  the  mother  church  of  the  Diocese.  When  Pius 
IX.  was  abandoned  by  the  powers  of  the  Old  World 
and  robbed  of  his  temporal  power,  when  the  organs  of 
public  opinion  in  America  were  maligning  the  Church, 


44  THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S 

and  sounding  the  death-knell  of  the  Papacy,  a  fearless 
Archbishop  of  New  York  issued  a  protest  which  as- 
tounded both  Europe  and  America,  and  the  few  Catho- 
lics in  this  See  presented  to  the  exiled  Pontiff  the  mu- 
nificent sum  of  $53,000.  How  strong  that  attachment 
is  to-day  may  be  judged  by  the  recent  magnificent  dem- 
onstration of  loyalty  to  Pius  X.  in  his  conflict  with  the 
infidel  usurpers  of  a  once  great  Catholic  nation. 

Pastors  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  1784  to  1815. 

The  Rev.  Charles  Whelan,  O.M.Cap.,  1784  to  1786. 
The  Rev.  Andrew  Nugent,  O.M.Cap.,  1786  to  1787. 
The  Rev.  William  O'Brien,  O.P.,  1787  to  1807. 
The  Rev.  Nicholas  Burke  (acting  rector),  1789  to 
1792. 
The    Rev.  Louis  Sibourd,  1807  to  1808. 
The  Rev.  Anthony  Kohlmann,  S.J.,  1808  to  1814. 

Assistant  Priests  of  St.  Peter's,  1785  to  1815. 

The  Rev.  John  Connell,  O.P.,  1787. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Matthew  O'Brien,  O.P.,  1803  to  1807. 
The  Rev.  Anthony  McMahon,  O.P.,  1800. 
The  Rev.  John  Byrne,  in  1804  and  in  1808. 
The  Very  Rev.  Michael  Hurley,  O.S.A.,   1805  to 
1807. 
The  Rev.  Peter  Vianney,  1804  to  1809. 
The  Rev.  Nicholas  Zocchi,  S.J.,  in  1810. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Caffrey,  in  1805. 
The  Rev.  Matthias  Kelly,  in  1806. 
The  Rev.  Benedict  Fenwick,  S.J.,  in  1808. 

Trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  from  1785  to  1811. 

Hector  St.  John  de  George  Barnewall, 

Crevecoeur,  Dennis  Doyle, 

Jose  Roiz  Silva,  Patrick  Wall, 

James  Stewart,  Dennis  McCarty, 

Henry  Duffin,  John  Kelly, 

Dominick  Lynch,  Cornelius  Heeney, 


THE  COMPLETION  OF  ST.  PETER'S 


45 


Thomas  Cavanagh, 
John  Hogan, 
Andrew  Morris, 
John  Sullivan, 
Charles  Neylon, 
William  Mooney, 
Thomas  Stoughton, 
Patrick  Farrell, 
James  Walsh, 


John  Hinton. 


Captain  John  O'Connor, 
Nicholas  Duff, 
James  Byrnes, 
Francis  Cooper, 
Charles  McCarthy, 
Michael  Roth, 
John  Byrne, 
Patrick  McKay, 
John  Hose, 


PART  II. 

The  Old  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick 

(1809-1879) 


CHAPTER  I. 

Beginnings  of  the  Old  Cathedral. 

See  of  New  York  created  April  8,  1808. — Right 
Rev.  Richard  L.  Concanen,  O.P.,  First  Bishop. — 
Site  of  the  old  Cathedral. — Rev.  Anthony  Kohl- 
mann,  S.J.,  First  Rector. — Plans  for  Building. — 
Corner-stone  laid  June  8,  1809. — Appeal  for 
Funds. — Patrician  Society  founded  January  22, 
1810. — Death  of  Bishop  Concanen. — New  York 
Literary  Institution. 

Pope  Pius  VII.  on  April  8,  1808,  erected  Baltimore 
into  an  Archdiocese  and  created  four  Suffragan  Sees 
at  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  Bardstown. 
The  new  Diocese  of  New  York  comprised  the  State  of 
New  York  and  the  eastern  part  of  New  Jersey.  On 
the  recommendation  of  the  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  Dr. 
Troy,  Pius  VII.  named  as  the  first  Bishop  of  this  See 
the  Rev.  Richard  Luke  Concanen,  an  Irish  Dominican, 
who  had  spent  nearly  all  his  life  in  the  Eternal  City, 
where  he  was  highly  esteemed  as  a  great  scholar  and 
an  able  administrator.* 

For  some  time  the  increasing  Catholic  population 
had  found  the  accommodations  of  St.  Peter's  inade- 
quate, and  the  recent  erection  of  New  York  into  an 
episcopal  See  inspired  in  the  faithful  a  desire  to  wel- 
come their  first  Bishop  in  his  own  Cathedral.  St.  Pat- 
rick's, therefore,  was  destined  to  be  the  Cathedral  of 
New  York,  and  to  meet  the  needs  of  those  Catholics 
who  had  settled  "outside  the   city."     Many  leading 

*  Bayley,  p.  71.  Mgr.  Lynch,  Historical  Records  and  Studies, 
Vol.  II.,  p.   101. 


50         BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL 

Catholics  cordially  welcomed  the  project,  especially  as 
the  Cathedral  was  to  bear  the  name  of  Ireland's  patron 
saint.  Andrew  Morris,  Cornelius  Heeney,  Matthew 
Reid,  and  others,  opened  the  subscriptions  with  gener- 
ous donations,  and  Father  Kohlmann,  a  distinguished 
Jesuit,  at  once  went  in  search  of  a  suitable  location.* 

Canal  Street,  then  the  northern  limit  of  the  city, 
was  situated  in  the  country  amid  the  villas  of  the 
wealthy  and  the  scattered  dwellings  of  the  humbler 
farmers.  Two  great  thoroughfares,  Broadway  and 
the  Bowery  Road,  ran  up  the  island  to  the  Stuyvesant 
Bouwerie,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city;  at  a  middle 
point  between  Broadway  and  the  Bowery,  amid  wood- 
land hills  and  meadows,  "so  very  close  to  the  wilder- 
ness that  foxes  were  frequent  visitors,"  a  site  was 
selected  for  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick.  To  the  south, 
before  coming  to  the  lower  part  of  the  city,  stood  the 
Collect,  a  large  pond  of  fresh  water,  with  one  outlet 
into  the  North  River  by  Canal  Street,  and  another  into 
the  East  River  near  Roosevelt  Street.  The  growth 
of  the  city  northward  was  slow.  In  1753,  the  site  of 
Columbia  College  at  Murray  Street  was  described  as 
being  "in  the  suburbs  of  the  capital."  Even  in  the 
year  1800,  the  city  did  not  extend  far  beyond  the 
present  post  office,  with  the  exception  of  a  strip  along 
the  East  River.  Archbishop  Bayley  writes  that  in  the 
year  1820,  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  in  Mulberry  Street 
was  so  far  in  the  fields  and  so  surrounded  by  woods, 
that  a  fox  was  caught  in  the  churchyard. f 

The  zealous  Jesuit,  the  Rev.  Anthony  Kohlmann, 
was  the  leading  spirit  in  the  movement  to  build  the 

*  The  Jesuits  have  lately  perpetuated  his  name  by  the  establishment 
of  Kohlmann  Hall  at  187th  Street  and  Washington  Heights, 
t  Bayley,  p.  68. 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL         51 

Cathedral.  Father  Kohlmann  arrived  in  America  in 
1807,  and  was  assigned  as  an  assistant  at  St.  Peter's, 
of  which  he  became  rector  in  1808.  Bishop  Concanen 
was  consecrated  in  Rome  on  April  24,  1808,  by  His 
Eminence  Cardinal  di  Pietro.  In  June  he  proceeded 
to  Leghorn,  expecting  to  sail  for  America,  but  England 
and  France  were  at  war,  all  American  vessels  were 
sequestered  by  the  French,  and  Bishop  Concanen,  as  a 
British  subject,  was  held  under  suspicion.  The  ven- 
erable Bishop  saw  no  hope  of  an  early  departure,  and 
empowered  Archbishop  Carroll  to  appoint  an  adminis- 
trator. Father  Kohlmann  was  named,  and  continued 
to  direct  the  affairs  of  the  Diocese  until  1814.  In  1808 
he  was  joined  by  another  famous  Jesuit,  the  Rev. 
Benedict  J.  Fenwick,  young,  energetic,  endowed  with 
great  learning  and  ability.  Fathers  Kohlmann  and 
Fenwick  labored  unceasingly  for  the  salvation  of 
souls.* 

Under  date  of  March  24,  1809,  Father  Kohlmann 
gives  an  idea  of  the  spiritual  condition  of  the  faithful 
in  this  city.  "This  parish  (St.  Peter's)  comprises 
about  16,000  Catholics,  so  neglected  in  all  respects  that 
it  goes  beyond  conception."  Some  time  later,  he  wrote 
as  follows:  "Communion-rail  daily  filled,  though  de- 
serted before;  general  confessions  every  day;  three 
sermons  in  English,  French,  and  German  every  Sun- 
day; three  catechism  classes  every  Sunday;  Protest- 
ants every  day  instructed  and  received  into  the  Church, 
etc."t 

On  Easter  Monday,  1809,  these  gentlemen  were 
elected  trustees:    Dominick  Lynch,  Andrew   Morris, 

♦Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.   I.,  pp.   207-209. 

t  DeCourcy,  p.  366.     Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  I.,  p.  207. 


52        BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL 

Thomas  Stoughton,  Michael  Roth,  Patrick  McKay, 
John  Hinton,  James  Walsh,  Miles  J.  Clossey  and  Ber- 
nard Dornin.  At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees,  held  in 
the  vestry  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  York,  May 
24,  1809: 

It  was  unanimously  resolved  that  in  consequence  of 
the  public  notices  from  the  altar,  that  with  the  great- 
est speed  they  would  carry  into  effect  the  building  of 
the  contemplated  new  church  on  the  burying-ground 
belonging  to  the  corporation  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
situated  between  Mott  Street  and  Catherine  Street; 
that  the  said  church,  which  is  to  be  denominated  St. 
Patrick's,  shall  consist  of  the  following  dimensions: 
120  feet  in  length,  80  feet  in  width;  that  whereas  the 
building  of  the  foundation  would  interfere  with  sun- 
dry graves  in  the  aforesaid  burying-ground,  it  was 
resolved  that  Mr.  Idley  be  instructed  to  have  removed 
with  all  possible  care,  decency,  and  expedition,  such 
graves  as  would  be  incommoded  thereby,  and  have 
their  contents  deposited  in  fresh  graves,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kohlmann,  and  the  rela- 
tives be  invited  to  attend,  if  they  pleased. 

Under  date  of  May  26,  1809,  the  trustees  under  the 
presidency  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kohlmann  adopted  the  fol- 
lowing measures: 

Resolved,  To  employ  Mr.  Peter  Morte,  mason,  as 
master  builder  and  superintendent  of  the  work  and 
building  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  at  the  aforesaid 
wages  of  $2  per  day,  for  such  days  as  he  may  work, 
and  be  employed,  at  the  option,  however,  of  the  trus- 
tees, to  be  discharged  at  their  pleasure,  whereupon  the 
said  Peter  Morte,  having  appeared  in  person  before 
the  board,  accepted  the  terms  above  specified  and  the 
conditions,  promising  to  dedicate  the  whole  of  the  day 
to  the  performance  of  his  engagements,  and  to  hold 
himself  accountable  to  the  trustees  for  any  mistake 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL        53 

that  may  be  committed  by  the  inaccuracy  of  the 
workmen  employed  by  him. 

Resolved,  To  employ  Patrick  Mullany,  mason,  as 
assistant  to  Peter  Morte,  at  the  wages  of  fourteen 
shillings  per  day,  his  services  to  commence  when  they 
may  be  required. 

Resolved,  Unanimously  to  accept  of  the  offer  of  Mr. 
Michael  Roth  as  clerk  for  the  superintendence  in  such 
points  as  may  be  requisite,  and  will  be  occasionally  in- 
formed for  the  benefit  of  the  building  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  which  the  trustees  will  remunerate  him  for  at 
$2  per  day. 

At  a  meeting  held  June  1st,  it  was  resolved  that  the 
trustees  provide  a  corner-stone  for  the  building  of  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  with  the  following  inscription: 

Anno  Domini,   1809, 

Dedicated  to  St.  Patrick, 

Apostle  of  Ireland. 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  Thursday,  June  8, 
1809,  by  the  Very  Rev.  Anthony  Kohlmann,  Vicar 
General  of  the  Diocese.  Bishop  Bayley*  quotes  this 
newspaper  account  of  the  event:  "On  Thursday  af- 
ternoon was  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  Catholic 
church  between  the  Broadway  and  Bowery  Road. 
The  stone  was  laid  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kohlmann,  rector 
of  St.  Peter's  Church,  and  Vicar  General  of  this  Dio- 
cese, in  the  absence  of  the  Right  Rev.Dr.Concanen,the 
newly  appointed  Bishop  for  New  York,  whose  arrival 
in  the  United  States  is  expected  daily,  direct  from 
Rome.  The  rector,  with  the  assistant  clergy,  choir  and 
the  board  of  trustees,  walked  in  solemn  procession  to 
the  ground,  where  was  delivered  a  suitable  discourse. 
The  ceremonies  were  concluded  amidst  a  large  and 

*  Bayley,  p.  73. 


54        BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL 

respectable  assemblage  of  citizens,  exceeding  3,000. 
We  understand  that  the  church,  which  is  to  be  a  large 
one,  on  the  suggestion  of  the  Right  Rev.  Archbishop, 
Dr.  Carroll,  is  to  be  called  St.  Patrick's."* 

Work  began  at  once.  On  June  12,  1809,  the  trus- 
tees met  and  resolved : 

That  the  ground  plan  for  the  building  of  St.  Pat- 
rick's Church,  presented  by  Mr.  Dennis  Doyle,  having 
been  duly  considered,  the  same  has  been  approved  of. 

Resolved,  That  Mr.  Peter  Morte  be  instructed  that 
he  will  have  the  ground  plan  of  Mr.  Dennis  Doyle  for 
the  building  of  St.  Patrick's  Church  put  into  execu- 
tion, that  he  is  enjoined  not  to  receive  any  materials 
from  any  person  whatsoever  but  of  the  first  and  best 
quality,  and  that  he  will  not  employ  any  man,  be  he 
whom  he  may,  that  he  does  not  approve  of,  and  who 
will  faithfully  comply  with  his  obligation. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  the  money  in  hand  was 
wholly  insufficient  for  so  great  a  task,  and  at  the  next 
meeting,  July  3d,  the  trustees  resolved  to  call  upon  the 
parishioners  for  special  subscriptions.  The  appeal,  as 
drawn  up  by  Mr.  Thomas  Stoughton,  will  give  the 
reader  an  idea  of  the  spirit  that  animated  those  who 
laid  the  foundations  of  Catholicity  in  New  York. 

Whereas,  the  expenses  of  building  and  completing, 
fit  for  divine  service,  the  new  church  dedicated  to  St. 
Patrick,  must  wholly  depend  on,  and  proceed  from  the 
voluntary  donations  and  contributions  of  the  generous 
benevolent,  who  are  desirous  as  well  for  the  promotion 
of  religion,  as  for  the  better  accommodation  of  the 
members  of  the  Catholic  congregation,  to  see  that 
temple  raised  and  finished  as  expeditiously  as  possible ; 
and 

*  Cheatham's  Republican  Watch  Tower,  June  20,   1808. 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL        55 

Whereas,  The  undertaking  of  so  spacious  an  edi- 
fice must  be  attended  with  very  great  expense,  al- 
though erected  with  all  possible  economy,  and  the 
omission  of  useless  exterior  ornaments,  which  latter 
can  prove  of  neither  advancement  to  religion,  nor  con- 
venience to  the  members;  it  is 

Resolved,  That  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church 
will  respectively  collect  as  many  subscriptions  as  may 
be  in  their  power,  and  persevere  with  their  interest  to 
influence  the  same  laudable  purposes  with  their  friends 
and  acquaintances ;  and  that  every  contributor  may  be 
convinced  that  the  trustees  do  not  covet,  nor  will  they 
permit  unnecessary  expenses,  to  prevent  the  covering 
in  of  the  church,  it  is  agreed  upon,  after  the  considera- 
tion of  the  considerable  expense  which  the  raising  of  a 
steeple  would  amount  to,  and  thereby  prevent  the  fin- 
ishing of  the  church  by  an  unnecessary  and  useless  ap- 
pendage, neither  adopted  by  the  recent  Roman  Catholic 
church  built  in  Philadelphia  nor  in  those  of  other 
religious  denominations  in  this  city,  to  recede  from  any 
idea  which,  to  the  prejudice  of  contributions,  has  been 
held  out,  of  making  a  costly  foundation  for  the  erect- 
ing, at  a  future  period,  a  steeple  to  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  thereby  procrastinating  the  building,  absorb- 
ing the  funds  which  may  otherwise  complete  the 
church  for  the  only  end  proposed  of  having  divine  ser- 
vice in  same  with  greater  expedition. 

On  August  4,  1809,  the  trustees  adopted  the  follow- 
ing measures: 

Whereas,  The  building  of  St.  Patrick's  Church  has 
been  considerably  protracted  for  the  want  of  a  water 
table,  which  the  stonecutters  could  not  furnish  with 
the  expedition  expected  and  agreed  upon,  in  order  to 
prevent  equal  disappointment  in  the  plain  cut  and  rus- 
tic stone,  which  will  be  now  soon  required,  at  the  pro- 
posal of  Mr.  Peter  Morte,  the  master  mason,  it  has 
been  resolved  by  the  trustees  that  instead  of  confining 


56        BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL 

the  work  and  supply  of  such  stone  to  one  person,  that 
the  same  be  divided  between  two  master  stonecutters, 
to  wit:  Moses  Miller,  and  McDonough  &  McGuire, 
and  Mr.  Morte  is  authorized  to  employ  them  respect- 
ively for  as  many  of  the  rustic  and  other  cut-stone, 
he  will  require  for  the  present  season,  and  to  close 
with  them  at  the  prices  stipulated  by  Moses  Miller; 
and 

Whereas,  It  is  the  wish  of  the  trustees  to  have  all 
accounts  paid  up  for  materials  for  the  building  of  St. 
Patrick's  Church,  to  the  completion  of  the  water  table, 
now  nearly  finished,  and  as  the  only  account  remain- 
ing unsettled  is  for  stone  received  from  time  to  time 
from  Mr.  Patrick  McKay's  quarry,  which  was  of  va- 
rious qualities,  and  avowing  themselves  not  competent 
to  set  a  value  on  them,  it  is 

Resolved,  That  Mr.  Peter  Morte,  the  master  mason, 
be  directed  to  give  a  certificate  stating  the  value  per 
load  of  the  stone  he  received  from  Mr.  McKay's 
quarry. 

Under  date  of  August  11th,  Mr.  Morte  presented  this 
statement : 

Agreeable  to  directions  from  the  board  of  trustees 
of  St.  Peter's  Church  to  estimate  or  value  the  different 
description  of  stone  I  received  at  different  times  at  St. 
Patrick's  Church  from  Mr.  Patrick  McKay's  quarry,  I 
have,  after  mature  reflection  on  the  subject,  and  hav- 
ing conscientiously  considered  between  what  was  good 
and  what  was  of  an  inferior  description,  concluded 
that  on  the  total  of  what  has  been  received,  which 
amount  to  the  number  of  six  hundred  and  forty-five 
loads  to  this  date,  that  4s,  6d  the  load  is  a  fair  price 
for  said  stone. 

Given  under  my  hand  this  11th  day  of  August, 
1809.  Peter  Morte. 

On  January  22,  1810,  the  trustees 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL         57 

Resolved  unanimously,  That  the  proposals  for  rais- 
ing a  fund  for  completing  the  building  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church  in  this  city  by  one  of  the  members  of  this  board, 
be  adopted.  The  object  is  to  institute  in  this  congre- 
gation a  society  to  be  called  the  Patrician  Society,  the 
entire  proceeds  of  which  will  be  applied  solely  to  that 
desirable  object.  The  intention  is  to  introduce  the 
numerous  members  of  the  Catholic  congregation  and 
have  their  names  entered  on  the  books  of  this  society, 
each  member  engaging  to  pay  monthly,  expressly  for 
the  above  objects,  from  one-quarter  of  a  dollar  upwards, 
each  in  proportion  to  his  means  and  inclination — the 
names  of  such  members  to  be  carefully  preserved  on 
the  church  books,  and  to  be  prayed  for  to  time  imme- 
morial in  said  church.  This  great  undertaking  (so 
pleasing  in  the  sight  of  Almighty  God  in  every  age 
of  Christianity)  of  erecting  a  temple  dedicated  to  His 
divine  and  sacred  worship,  is  also  most  earnestly 
recommended  to  the  female  part  of  the  congregation 
(whose  piety  and  zeal  are  every  day  becoming  more 
conspicuous),  for  their  support  and  patronage,  and 
the  parents  of  children,  whose  circumstances  in  life 
are  prosperous  and  happy,  and  to  induce  Almighty 
God  to  continue  to  them  and  their  offspring  this  so 
great  a  blessing,  it  is  most  earnestly  recommended,  as 
well  for  this  great  good,  as  also  to  give  to  the  innocent 
young  mind  an  early  veneration  for  their  holy  religion, 
to  enter  their  names  in  the  Patrician  Society,  which 
would  create  in  their  gentle  minds  a  holy  emulation 
or  pride  to  say,  when  they  have  attained  the  age  of 
manhood,  that  they  contributed  even  when  at  school 
to  the  building  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  by  their  par- 
ents having  their  names  enrolled  on  the  books  for  a 
certain  sum  monthly  for  its  completion.  It  was  mainly 
in  this  way  that  the  great  and  good  divine,  so  well- 
known  all  over  Europe,  the  Rev.  Father  Arthur 
O'Leary,  built  the  Catholic  church  of  St.  Patrick  in 
London.  From  these  conditions,  and  hoping  Almighty 
God's  blessing  for  it,  the  reverend  clergy,  with  the 


53        BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL 

trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  whose  names  are  here- 
unto subscribed,  do  consider  it  their  strict  duty,  in  the 
strongest  and  warmest  terms,  to  recommend  the  Cath- 
olic congregation  to  adopt  and  support  the  Patrician 
Society,  and  that  those  who  are  induced  to  subscribe 
by  their  piety  thereto,  will  be  pleased  to  pay  punctually 
every  month. 

(Signed)  Michael  Roth,  Sec'y. 

Anthony  Kohlmann, 
Benedict  J.  Fenwick, 
Thomas  Stoughton, 
Andrew  Morris, 
Michael  Roth, 
John  Hinton, 
James  Walsh, 

Trustees. 

The  trustees  made  every  effort  to  complete  the 
church,  but  the  resources  of  their  brethren  seemed 
unequal  to  the  undertaking.  On  September  7,  1810,  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  an  appeal  to  the 
Corporation  of  Trinity  Church.  Andrew  Morris, 
Thomas  Stoughton,  Fathers  Kohlmann  and  Fenwick 
were  the  committee.  We  have  no  record  of  what  reply 
was  made  to  this  appeal,  but  it  is  proper  to  acknowledge 
that  the  struggling  mother  church  of  the  Diocese  in 
subsequent  years  received  substantial  aid  from  the 
great  Episcopal  Corporation  of  Trinity. 

Under  date  of  January  4,  1810,  we  have  a  report 
of  expenditures  made  during  the  year  1809: 

The  undersigned  being  a  committee  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  appointed  to  examine 
and  report  on  the  accounts  of  expenditures  of  the 
building  of  St.  Patrick's  Church  for  the  last  year,  re- 
port after  mature  investigation  that  there  has  been  paid 
to  the  treasurer,  Mr.  Andrew  Morris,  through  various 


PIUS      VII 

FROM  A  PAINTING     BY     DAVTD    IN     TH  £     ARCHBISHOPS     HOUSE- 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL        59 

subscriptions,  the  sum  of  $8,551.15,  to  the  4th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1810.    He  has  paid  to  the  same  date  $9,439.09. 

$9,439.09 
8,551.15 


Hence  a  balance  is  due  our  treasurer,  Mr. 
Andrew  Morris,  of $887.94 

(Signed)  Michael  Roth, 

James  Walsh. 

Under  date  of  November  8,  1810,  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing financial  report: 

We,  the  undersigned,  a  committee  of  trustees  of 
St.  Peter's  Church,  appointed  to  examine  and  report 
on  the  amount  of  receipts  and  disbursements  of  St. 
Patrick's  Church  from  its  commencement,  report  that 
we  have  carefully  examined  the  books  of  said  church, 
kept  by  Messrs.  Morris  and  Roth,  which  we  found 
perfectly  correct,  and  on  comparing  the  books,  we 
found  them  to  agree  exactly. 

Amount  expended  in  the  year  1809 $  9,439.09 

Amount  expended  in  the  year  1810 6,295.92 


Making  a  total  of $15,735.01 

Amount    of    cash    received    to 

9th  of  October,  1810 $13,926.47 

Mr.  Morris'  second  subscription     1,000.00       14,926.47 


Balance  due  Mr.  Andrew  Morris $   808.54 

We  find  on  examining  Mr.  Roth's  books  and 
accounts,  that  he  is  in  advance  in  paying 
workmen    $  35.56 

And  there  appears  due  to  Mr.  Roth  for  his  ser- 
vices up  to  the  7th  of  October  last 188.27 


Balance  due  Mr.  Roth $223.83 


60        BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL 

We  further  report  on  examining  the  books  of  the 
Patrician  Society  that  the  sum  of  $1,095.75  has  been 
received,  which  sum  is  included  in  the  amount  stated 
above,  except  a  balance  of  $192.50,  which  remains  in 
Mr.  Roth's  hands. 

(Signed)  Dennis  McCarthy, 

James  Walsh. 

The  building  was  retarded,  not  only  by  the  lack  of 
funds,  but  also  by  the  sudden  death  of  Bishop  Con- 
canen.  In  the  spring  of  1810,  Bishop  Concanen  left 
Rome  for  Naples,  having  secured  a  berth  on  the 
steamer  Frances  of  Salem,  which  was  scheduled  to  sail 
for  America  on  Sunday,  June  17th,  but  the  French 
police  pretended  to  find  some  flaw  in  the  passport  and 
would  not  allow  the  Bishop  to  board  the  vessel,  which 
departed  without  him.  Disheartened  by  this  new  dis- 
appointment, the  venerable  Bishop  exclaimed :  "I  may 
bid  farewell  to  America  forever.  I  pray  you,  my  dear 
Abbe,  to  see  that  whatever  regards  my  funeral  and 
burial  be  done  in  a  decent  manner,  so  as  not  to  dis- 
grace my  rank  and  character."* 

That  night  he  was  stricken  by  a  violent  fever,  the 
Last  Sacraments  were  administered  the  next  day  by 
the  Rev.  John  M.  Lombardi,  and  on  the  nineteenth  of 
June  the  venerable  Bishop  passed  away.f  His  obsequies 
were  held  June  20th  in  the  church  of  San  Domenico 
Maggiore,  and  his  body  was  deposited  in  its  vault. 

As  soon  as  the  tidings  reached  New  York,  a  solemn 
Requiem  was  celebrated  in  St.  Peter's  Church  for  the 
repose  of  the  soul  of  the  deceased  Bishop.  Father 
Kohlmann,  October  12,  1810,  wrote  an  account  of  the 
ceremony  to  Archbishop  Carroll :    "The  sanctuary,  the 

*  Smith,  Vol.  I.,  p.  40. 

t  Historical   Records  and   Studies,   Vol.   II.,   p.    103. 


BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL        61 

whole  altar,  all  the  curtains,  were  in  black — a  bier 
covered  and  surrounded  by  all  the  insignia  of  the 
episcopal  dignity,  such  as  the  miter,  crozier,  etc.  A 
High  Mass,  with  deacon  and  subdeacon,  accompanied 
with  musical  instruments,  was  celebrated,  and  a  funeral 
sermon  on  the  episcopal  dignity  delivered  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Fenwick." 

Hostilities  broke  out  between  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain.  This  checked  emigration  to  our  shores 
and  brought  distress  throughout  the  country.  Thus 
scarcity  of  money,  the  death  of  Bishop  Concanen,  the 
hard  times  produced  by  the  war,  all  tended  to  arrest 
the  construction  of  the  Cathedral.  Meanwhile,  Father 
Kohlmann  founded  the  New  York  Literary  Institu- 
tion, which  was  attended  by  the  sons  of  the  best  fami- 
lies. At  first  it  was  started  in  a  rented  house*  opposite 
the  site  of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick  in  Mulberry 
Street.  The  school  had  great  success.  It  was  removed 
to  Broadway,  and  in  March,  1810,  Father  Kohlmann 
bought  as  a  new  site  for  the  college  the  territory  now 
made  into  two  blocks  by  the  opening  of  Madison  Ave- 
nue, and  lying  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  Avenues, 
Fiftieth  and  Fifty-first  Streets,  then  directly  opposite 
the  Elgin  Botanic  Garden.  The  college  was  maintained 
with  difficulty,  and  in  1814  the  Jesuit  Fathers  closed  it 
and  withdrew  from  the  Diocese.  Among  its  Profes- 
sors was  the  distinguished  writer  on  astronomy,  Mr. 
James  Wallace.f 

In  1811  the  Very  Rev.  Administrator  received  the 
assistance  of  his  brother,  Rev.  Paul  Kohlmann,  S.J., 
Rev.  C.  Woutters,t  and  Rev.  Peter  A.  Malou,  S.J.§ 

*  Historical   Records  and   Studies,   Vol.   IV.,   p.    333. 
t  Shea,  Vol.   III.,  o.   165. 

t  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  II.,  p.  39. 
§  Ibid.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  210. 


CHAPTER  II. 
The  Completion  of  Old  St.  Patrick's. 

Right  Rev.  John  Connolly,  O.P.,  Second  Bishop. 
— Dedication  of  Cathedral,  May  4,  1815. — First 
Orphan  Asylum. — St.  Patrick's  School  opened 
1817.— School  Report  (1805-1824)  St.  Patrick's 
Christian  Doctrine  Society. — Separate  Incorpora- 
tion, April  14,  1817. — Difficulties  with  Trustees. 
— Deeds  Found  and  Registered. — First  Ordination. 
— Death  of  Bishop  Connolly. 

About  September,  1814,  Pope  Pius  VII.  appointed 
another  Irish  Dominican,  the  Rev.  John  Connolly, 
Chief  Prior  of  St.  Clement's,  Rome,  to  be  the  second 
Bishop  of  New  York.  He  was  consecrated  on  Novem- 
ber 6th,  but  nearly  a  year  elapsed  before  he  reached 
his  See.  Father  Kohlmann  was  recalled  and  made 
Master  of  Novices  in  Maryland.  Father  Fenwick  as- 
sumed charge  of  the  Diocese,  and  made  every  effort 
to  complete  the  Cathedral.*  As  no  communication 
was  received  from  Bishop  Connolly,  either  by  Arch- 
bishop Carroll  or  by  Father  Fenwick,  the  dedication 
was  fixed  for  Ascension  Day,  May  4,  1815,  and  the 
Right  Rev.  John  Cheverus,  Bishop  of  Boston,  was  in- 
vited to  perform  the  ceremony,  the  venerable  Arch- 
bishop of  Baltimore  having  been  obliged  to  decline  the 
invitation  of  the  Catholics  of  New  York. 

In  a  letter  to  Archbishop  Carroll,  Bishop  Connolly 
refers  to  the  notice  of  the  dedication  which  appeared  in 

*  The  old  Cathedral  was  the  first  church  dedicated  to  Ireland's  patron 
saint  in  the  United  States. 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  63 

The  New  York  Gazette.    Catholics  of  to-day  will  find 
it  very  interesting  reading. 

The  new  Catholic  Cathedral  in  this  city,  which  was 
begun  in  the  year  1809,  and  lately  so  far  completed  as 
to  be  fit  for  divine  service,  was  last  Thursday,  Ascen- 
sion Day,  solemnly  dedicated  to  God  under  the  name 
of  St.  Patrick,  by  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Cheverus,  Bishop 
of  Boston.  This  grand  and  beautiful  church,  which 
may  justly  be  considered  one  of  the  greatest  orna- 
ments of  our  city,  and  inferior  in  point  of  elegance  to 
none  in  the  United  States,  is  built  in  the  Gothic  style 
and  executed  agreeable  to  the  design  of  Mr.  Joseph 
Mangin,  the  celebrated  architect  of  New  York.  It  is 
one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  eighty  feet  wide,  and 
between  seventy-five  and  eighty  feet  high.  The  su- 
perior elegance  of  the  architecture,  as  well  as  the  beauty 
of  the  interior,  had  for  some  months  past  excited  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  public  curiosity,  and  crowds  of  citi- 
zens of  all  denominations  daily  flocked  to  it  to  admire 
its  grandeur  and  magnificence,  but  on  the  day  of  its 
consecration  the  concourse  was  immense.  Upwards 
of  four  thousand  persons,  consisting  of  the  best  fami- 
lies of  New  York,  including  the  members  of  the  Cor- 
poration, the  present  (John  Ferguson)  and  former 
Mayors  (De  Witt  Clinton),  with  many  other  officers 
of  distinction,  were  able  to  find  admittance  within, 
but  a  far  greater  number  for  want  of  room  were 
compelled  reluctantly  to  remain  without.  The  cere- 
mony of  the  dedication,  with  the  solemn  service  of 
High  Mass  which  followed,  was  long  and  im- 
pressive. 

The  Right  Rev.  Consecrator,  after  the  Gospel  of  the 
day  was  sung,  delivered  from  the  altar  with  his  usual 
sprightly  eloquence  an  appropriate  address  from  the 
words  of  the  forty-fifth,  alias  forty-sixth  Psalm,  eighth 
verse:  "I  have  loved,  O  Lord,  the  beauty  of  Thy 
house,  and  the  place  where  Thy  glory  dwelleth,"  to  his 
numerous  and  attentive  audience. 


64  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

When  we  consider  that  at  this  period  New  York  had 
constructed  its  City  Hall,  and  Trinity  Church  was  the 
most  pretentious  religious  edifice  erected  by  any  de- 
nomination, the  Cathedral  in  Mulberry  Street  is  a 
magnificent  monument  to  the  noble  aspirations,  the 
liberality,  and  the  perseverance  of  our  pioneer  Catho- 
lics, who  were  comparatively  so  few  in  number  and 
so  limited  in  resources.  Bishop  Plessis  was  in  New 
York  in  September,  1815,  and  describes  the  new 
Cathedral  as  "at  the  extremity  of  the  city  toward  the 
country."  "It  has  already  cost  $90,000,  but  as  yet 
has  no  steeple  or  sacristy  or  enclosure  or  annexed 
buildings.  Besides,  there  is  no  roof  casing  or  penciled 
joints,  although  the  very  ordinary  stone  of  which  it  is 
built  requires  both.  To  make  up  for  this,  the  interior 
is  magnificent.  Its  tall  clustered  columns  on  each 
side,  dividing  the  whole  body  of  the  church  into  three 
naves,  surmounted  by  Gothic  arches,  form  a  sight  all 
the  more  imposing,  as  the  painter  has  designed  on  the 
flat  rear  wall  terminating  the  edifice  behind  the  altar, 
a  continuation  of  these  arches  and  columns,  that  form 
a  distant  perspective  and  produce  a  vivid  illusion  on 
strangers  not  warned  in  advance,  giving  them  at  first 
the  impression  that  the  altar  stands  midway  in  the 
length  of  the  church,  when  in  reality  it  touches  the 
wall.  The  effect  produced  by  this  perspective  makes 
this  church  pass  for  the  finest  in  the  United  States.  It 
is  also  remarkable  for  the  size  of  the  windows,  the 
elegance  of  the  two  galleries,  one  above  the  other;  a 
symmetrical  staircase  leading  to  the  organ  over  the 
main  entrance.  The  pews  occupying  the  nave  leave 
three  spacious  walls,  and  are  capped  all  around  with 
mahogany.     It  is  intended  to  be  the  Bishop's  Cathe- 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  65 

dral,  but  the  sanctuary  is  not  at  all  adapted  for  placing 
his  throne  or  for  the  performance  of  episcopal  func- 
tions."* 

Thirteen  years  later  a  guide-book  spoke  of  the 
Cathedral  as  the  largest  religious  edifice  in  the  city, 
adding  that  it  is  built  "of  stone  in  massive  style,  the 
walls  being  several  feet  in  thickness,  the  roof  rising  in 
a  sharp  angle  to  a  height  of  more  than  one  hundred 
feet  and  forming  with  the  tower  a  most  conspicuous 
object  in  approaching  the  city  from  the  east.  The  front 
of  the  building  is  faced  with  hewn  brown  stone;  and 
several  niches  are  left  open  for  statues  that  are  to  be 
placed.  When  completed,  it  will  be  the  most  impres- 
sive looking  edifice  in  this  city." 

The  effect  on  those  outside  the  Church  was  consider- 
able. For  the  first  time  non-Catholics  began  to  realize 
the  grandeur  of  the  Catholic  Church,  the  sublimity  of 
her  art,  the  beauty  of  her  ritual,  above  all  the  noble 
faith,  lofty  sentiment,  and  self-sacrificing  spirit  of  her 
children,,  who  could  erect  a  temple  under  difficulties  so 
overwhelming.  On  May  15,  1815,  the  pews  were  of- 
fered for  sale ;  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-five,  seventy- 
seven  were  sold  for  $37,500.  Those  nearest  to  the 
altar  and  pulpit  brought  $1,000  each.  Bishop  Connolly 
arrived  at  New  York  in  the  ship  Sally  from  Dublin,  on 
November  24,  1815,  after  a  stormy  voyage  of  sixty- 
eight  days.  That  day  he  took  possession  of  his  Cathe- 
dral, the  finest  church  in  the  city,  and  unequaled  in  the 
whole  country.  Here,  for  more  than  sixty  years,  stood 
the  seat  of  the  spiritual  ruler  of  the  Diocese.  Here 
priests  were  ordained  for  the  service  of  the  altar ;  here 
Bishops  were  consecrated,  the  pallium  was  conferred: 

*  Shea,  Vol.  III.,  p.   170-171. 


66  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

here  Diocesan  Synods,  Provincial  Councils  were  held, 
and  here  the  scarlet  biretta  was  presented  to  the  ven- 
erable Cardinal  McCloskey.  The  Diocese,  embracing 
the  State  of  New  York  and  part  of  New  Jersey,  had 
only  four  priests,  Fathers  Kohlmann,  Fenwick,  and 
Malou,  Jesuits,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Carbry,  a  Do- 
minican.* There  were  but  three  churches,  two  in  New 
York  and  one  in  Albany,  accommodating  thirteen  thou- 
sand Catholics.  Even  in  1823,  only  four  priests  had 
been  added  to  this  number,  making  a  total  of  eight  for 
the  entire  State.  The  first  pastor  of  the  Cathedral  was 
the  Rev.  Michael  0'Gorman,f  who  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  priest  ordained  in  St.  Patrick's.  However, 
Mr.  Shea  and  other  historians  consider  it  more  prob- 
able that  Father  O'Gorman  was  ordained  in  Ireland 
shortly  before  he  accompanied  Bishop  Connolly  to  this 
country.  In  April,  1816,  the  New  York  Roman  Catho- 
lic Benevolent  Society  was  begun  by  a  few  individuals, 
for  the  purpose  of  providing  for  the  orphans.  The 
members  held  monthly  meetings  and  subscribed  three 
dollars  a  year.  On  December  26,  1816,  a  collection 
was  taken  up  in  the  Cathedral  for  the  benefit  of  the 
orphans,  and  this  gradually  led  to  the  custom  estab- 
lished by  Bishop  Hughes  of  giving  to  the  orphans 
the  collections  made  in  all  the  churches  of  the  city  on 
Christmas  and  Easter.  A  small  frame  building  on 
Prince  Street  was  secured,  and  in  June,  1817,  three 
Sisters  of  CharityJ  from  Mother  Seton's  community  in 
Emmittsburg  opened  the  first  orphanage  in  this  Diocese. 
These  Sisters  were  Sisters  Rose  White,  Cecilia  O'Con- 

*  Historical   Records  and  Studies,   Vol.   II.,  p.  38. 

t  Ibid.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  36. 

t  Mother  Seton's  Sisters  opened  free  schools  long  in  advance  of  the 

Sublic    school    system.     They    conducted    such    schools    in    Philadelphia, 
Tew  York,  Boston,  and  several  other  places  at  a  very  early  date. 


Vice-Presidents, 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  67 

way,  and  Felicite  Brady.  Mme.  Malibran,  the  famous 
singer,  gave  a  concert  in  aid  of  the  asylum.  The  Benev- 
olent Society  was  incorporated  by  the  State  Legisla- 
ture in  1817.  The  officers  for  the  year  1817  were  the 
following : 

S.  P.  Lemoine,  President, 

John  Brennan, 

J.  B.  Dasege, 

Charles  Delvecchio, 

Mark  Desalrayd,  Secretary, 

^T         ^  '  I  Assistant  Secretaries.* 

Hugh  Sweeney, 

During  the  first  year,  only  five  orphans  were  re- 
ceived, but  in  the  following  year  the  number  increased 
to  twenty-eight.f  The  original  frame  structure  soon 
becoming  inadequate,  additional  ground  was  purchased 
on  Prince  Street,  and  a  brick  building  was  started. 
Later  on,  the  large  buildings  on  Fifth  and  Madison 
Avenues  and  Fifty-first  Street  were  constructed.  These, 
too,  have  disappeared,  and  the  orphans  are  now  in- 
stalled in  the  new  beautiful  asylums  at  Kingsbridge. 

In  1817,  St.  Patrick's  Charity  or  Free  School  was 
opened  in  the  basement  of  the  church  toward  Mott 
Street,  where  it  continued  for  some  years.  The  school 
was  in  charge  of  the  priests,  among  them  Father 
Urquhart  and  Levins,  who  were  assisted  by  lay  teach- 
ers. On  Sunday  they  were  aided  by  a  few  pious  men 
who  taught  Christian  Doctrine  to  working  boys  and  to 
those  attending  other  schools.  The  old  basement,  be- 
fore the  church  was  extended,  was  not  half  as  large 
as  the  present  one,  and  soon  became  insufficient  to 

*  Bayley,  p.  181. 

t  Shea,  Vol.  III.,  p.  180. 


68  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

accommodate  the  increasing  number  of  pupils.  In 
1837  a  new  two-story  brick  building  was  constructed 
on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Christian  Brothers' 
School,  erected  in  1862,  in  Mulberry  Street.  The  boys, 
under  Michael  O'Donnell,  were  on  the  first  floor,  and 
the  girls,  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  on  the 
second  floor.  The  school  was  supported  by  collections 
taken  up  in  the  churches  and  by  a  share  of  the  State 
School  Fund,  which  at  that  time  was  divided  between 
the  various  denominational  schools  and  those  estab- 
lished by  the  Public  School  Society  for  the  children  of 
parents  professing  no  religion.  It  is  to  the  great  credit 
of  the  priests  and  people  of  those  early  days  that  they 
fully  realized  the  supreme  importance  of  Catholic  edu- 
cation, and  manifested  a  great  interest  in  everything 
that  concerned  the  free  schools.  Among  the  minutes 
of  the  meeting  held  by  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's 
Church  on  May  2,  1820,  we  find  the  following  report: 

James  J.  McDonnell  reported  from  the  committee 
appointed  to  visit  the  free  school,  that  they  have  visited 
the  free  school  several  successive  mornings  to  witness 
the  giving  of  lessons  according  to  the  Lancasterian 
System  of  Mr.  Langin,  the  present  teacher,  that  they 
are  completely  satisfied  with  his  conduct,  with  the  prog- 
ress of  the  children  under  his  care,  and  believe  him 
fully  competent  and  extremely  attentive  to  his 
situation. 

Again,  on  July  5,  1820,  this  resolution  was  passed : 

Resolved,  That  Cornelius  Heeney,  treasurer  of  this 
Society,  be  and  is  hereby  empowered  to  sign  such  in- 
structions in  writing  and  affix  the  seal  of  this  board 
thereto,  as  shall  be  necessary  for  and  on  behalf  of  this 
board,  to  demand  and  receive  that  portion  of  the  fund 
appropriated  by  the  laws  of  this  State  for  the  support 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  69 

of  free  schools,  to  which  the  free  school  attached  to 
St.  Peter's  Church  is  entitled. 

On  April  16,  1821,  we  find  this  report  among  the 
minutes  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral : 

The  committee  appointed  on  the  2d  of  January  last 
to  examine  accounts  of  Garret  Byron,  one  of  the  Build- 
ing Committee  and  Superintendent  of  Works  done  in 
erecting  the  free  school  attached  to  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral, report  that  they  have  examined  the  accounts  of 
expenditures  on  such  building  kept  by  Mr.  G.  Byron 
and  the  vouchers  in  his  possession  for  payments  made 
by  him,  and  charged  in  said  accounts,  and  find  them 
regular  and  satisfactory,  and  perfectly  correct;  by 
which  accounts  it  appears  that  the  amount  of  disburse- 
ments made  by  him,  which  were  the  whole  cost  of  that 

building,  amounted  to  the  sum  of $3,314.94 

The  amount  of   payments  made  to  him  by 

Messrs.  Cooper  and  Heeney 3,307.49 

Leaving  a  balance  due  to  him  of $7.45 

Under  date  of  January  4,  1824,  we  have  a  copy 
of  a  report  sent  to  the  Superintendent  of  Schools. 

To  John  V.  N.  Yates,  Esq., 

Superintendent  of  Common  Schools. 

New  York,  Jan.  4,  1824. 
Sir: 

The  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  and  St. 
Peter's  Church  have  received  your  letter  of  the  5th  of 
May  last,  requesting  such  information  as  they  possessed 
relative  to  the  free  schools  attached  to  those  churches, 
on  the  several  subjects  embraced  in  the  resolution  of 
the  Assembly  of  this  State,  of  the  25th  of  February, 
1823,  a  copy  of  which  resolution  is  annexed  to  your 
letter.  In  compliance  with  your  wish,  they  now  re- 
spectively state  that  the  free  school  attached  to  St 


70  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

Peter's  Church  was  built  in  the  year  1803.*  The  lease 
of  the  lot  on  which  it  stands  was  purchased  in  the  same 
year  for  £860  currency,  and  the  expense  of  erecting  the 
building  was  £1,000  currency,  both  which  sums,  making 
together  £1,860  currency,  or  $4,650,  were  paid  from 
private  donations  or  legacies  left  for  that  purpose.  That 
the  school  attached  to  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  and  that 
attached  to  St.  Peter's  Church  were  both  under  one  de- 
nomination, that  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  until  the  year 
1817,  when  the  congregations  of  those  churches  were 
separately  incorporated,  and  the  information  which  we 
now  give  comprises  both  schools  under  the  denomina- 
tion of  the  free  school  attached  to  St.  Peter's  Church, 
until  the  above-mentioned  year,  1817,  from  which 
period  the  accounts  are  distinct  and  separate.  They 
further  respectively  state  that  an  Act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  this  State,  passed  26th  of  March,  1806,  directed 
the  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commonalty  of  the  city  of 
New  York  to  pay  to  the  trustees  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic congregation  in  New  York  the  like  sum  as  was  paid 
to  the  other  congregations  respectively,  by  virtue  of  an 
Act,  entitled:  "An  Act  directing  Certain  Moneys  to 
be  Applied  to  the  Use  of  the  Free  Schools  in  the  City 
of  New  York,"  and  that  under  the  authority  of  said 
Act,  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  received  from 
the  Corporation  of  this  city  on  the  5th  of  May,  1806, 
the  sum  of  $1,565.78.  This  was  the  first  aid  the  free 
school  of  St.  Peter's  Church  obtained  from  public 
funds,  and  from  that  period  until  the  year  1814  they 
did  not  receive  any  portion  of  the  school  fund,  and 
not  having  from  the  year  1805,  the  period  from  which 
the  information  you  require  is  to  commence,  until  the 
year  1814,  made  any  returns  or  kept  any  account  of  the 
number  of  scholars,  they  can  not  for  these  nine  years 
give  the  particulars  required  accurately,  and  have  there- 
fore in  the  enclosed  account  given  an  average  for  that 
term,  from  the  best  information  they  could  collect. 
From  the  year  1814,  when  they  commenced  receiv- 

*  From  1800  until  1803  rooms  were  hired  for  school  purposes. 


AFTER    THE   PORTRAIT     IN    ARCHBISHOP'S    -H  OUSE      NEW   YORK 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  71 

ing  regularly  a  portion  of  the  school  fund,  the  account 
presented  is  accurate,  and  we  believe  will  be  found  to 
agree  with  the  records  kept  by  the  Commissioner  of 
the  school  fund.  The  building  in  which  the  school  at- 
tached to  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  is  now  kept  was 
erected  in  the  year  1819.  The  upper  floor  is  appro- 
priated to  the  purposes  of  the  church  and  the  basement 
story  to  those  of  the  free  school.  The  estimated  pro- 
portion of  the  latter  is  $3,200,  which  was  paid  from  the 
proceeds  of  a  sermon  preached  for  the  benefit  of  that 
school,  from  a  legacy  left  to  said  school,  and  from  the 
funds  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral.  The  average  ex- 
pense of  educating  each  scholar  at  the  free  school  at- 
tached to  St.  Peter's  Church  was  $3.70  J^.  The  aver- 
age expense  of  educating  each  scholar  at  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral  was  $3.0254. 

Referring  to  the  enclosed  statement,  we  remain,  with 
respect, 

Your  obedient  servants, 
The  Boards  of  Trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  and 
St.  Peter's  Church, 

James  J.  McDonnell, 

Secretary. 

STATEMENT 

of  the  number  of  scholars,  salaries  paid  to  teachers,  extra 
expenses  and  public  moneys  received  in  and  for  the  free  school 
attached  to  St.  Peter's  Church  and  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  in 
the  State  of  New  York  from  the  year  1805  to  the  year  1823. 

St.  Peter's  Church  Free  School. 

No.  of  Salaries  Extra  Public 

Year  Scholars      to  Teachers       Expenses        Money  Received 

1805 500 $1,600 $400 00 

Eight   1 
years 
to  1813 
averaged 
as  1805 

1814 486 1,600 400 1,861.73 

1815 500 1,600 400 1,840.00 

1816 516 1,600 400 1,816.32 

1817 344 800 200 1,124.88 


4,000 12,800 3,200 $1,565.78 


72 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 


No.  of 

Salaries             Extra 

Public 

Year 

Scholars 

to  Teachers       Expenses 

Money  Received 

1818. 

....    361... 

...    $800 

$200... 

....$1,072.71 

1819.. 

....    350... 

...     800 

200... 

. ...   1,007.12 

1820.. 

....    356... 

...      800 

200... 

....   1,059.99 

1821.. 

....    328... 

...     800 

200... 

. . . .     731.44 

1822. . 

....    316... 

...     800 

200... 

. . . .     619.36 

1823.. 

....    311... 

...     800 

200... 

. . . .      510.04 

8,368 

$24,800 

$6,200 

$13,209.37 

St.  Patrici 

<.'$>  Cathedral  Free  School. 

No.  of 

Salaries             Extra 

Public 

Year 

Scholars 

to  Teachers       Expenses 

Money  Received 

1817.. 

....    243... 

...    $800 

$200... 

$794.61 

1818.. 

....    275... 

...      800 

200... 

817.16 

1819.. 

....    306... 

...      800 

200... 

880.51 

1820.. 

....    359... 

...      800 

200... 

1,068.92 

1821.. 

....    371... 

...      800 

200... 

827.33 

1822.. 

....    345... 

...      800 

200... 

676.20 

1823.. 

....    417... 

...      800 

200... 

683.88 

2,316  $5,600         $1,400  $5,748.61 

On  March  19,  1824,  the  trustees 

Resolved,  That  a  letter  be  written  to  Mr.  John  Morse, 
one  of  the  delegation  of  this  city,  to  use  his  influence 
with  the  other  members  to  prevent  the  passing  of  any 
law  respecting  the  free  school,  which  may  affect  the 
schools  attached  to  those  churches  (St.  Patrick's  and 
St.  Peter's). 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  memorial  addressed  to 
Mr.  Morse: 

New  York,  March  20,  1824. 
To  John  Morse,  Esq., 
Sir: 
The  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  and  St. 
Peter's  Church,  charged  with  the  care  of  the  free 
schools  attached  to  those  churches,  beg  leave  to  re- 
quest your  attention  and  that  of  the  other  members  of 
the  delegation  from  the  city  of  New  York  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  this  State,  on  the  subject  of  the  measures  now 
in  progress  for  a  change  in  the  law  regulating  the  dis- 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  73 

tribution  of  the  school  fund.  From  a  report  made 
by  the  committee  to  the  House  of  Assembly,  appre- 
hensions are  entertained  that  there  is  a  project  on  for 
withdrawing  from  the  schools  under  the  directions  of 
the  religious  societies,  that  aid  which  they  have  been 
accustomed  to  receive  from  the  common  school  fund. 
This  measure,  they  consider,  will  be  neither  liberal 
nor  politic.  Children  who  are  made  to  commence  their 
daily  exercises  by  prayer  are  not  likely  from  that  cir- 
cumstance to  be  worse  citizens  than  those  who  do  not 
follow  that  practice,  nor  receive  any  religious  instruc- 
tion, and  it  would  be  strange  indeed  to  discriminate 
between  those  descriptions,  and  disqualify  the  former. 
Should  such  a  measure  pass  into  a  law,  the  religious 
societies,  it  is  believed,  will  be  obliged  to  reduce  the 
salaries  of  their  teachers  so  low  that  persons  well 
qualified  will  not  accept  those  situations,  and  they  must 
employ  persons  less  capable.  They  therefore  request 
that  the  delegation  of  this  city,  whom  they  are  proud 
to  consider  as  their  representatives,  shall  oppose  any 
change  in  the  law  respecting  the  school  fund,  to  the 
prejudice  of  the  schools  under  their  care,  and  that  if 
such  a  measure  should  be  proposed,  sufficient  time  shall 
be  given  to  all  the  parties  interested  to  apply  to  the 
Legislature  on  the  subject. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  boards  of  trustees  of  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral  and  St.  Peter's  Church. 

James  J.  McDonnell, 

Secretary. 

On  April  19,  1824,  the  trustees  instructed  the  treas- 
urer to  "pay  the  Rev.  Mr.  Power  the  sum  of  $100  for 
and  in  consideration  of  his  expenses  in  going  to  Albany 
on  the  affairs  of  the  free  schools." 

On  May  3,  1826,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Power,  a  small  fee  was  charged  for  tuition. 

From  a  report  of  Mr.  John  Costigan,  the  teacher 
of  the  boys'  department,  it  appears  that  in  August, 


74  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

1828,  there  were  eighty  pupils,  and  in  1830  the  number 
had  increased  to  two  hundred  and  thirty.  The  chil- 
dren were  American,  Irish,  English,  Scotch,  French, 
Spanish,  Portuguese,  German,  Italian,  and  South 
American. 

In  1842  there  were  three  hundred  pupils  in  the  boys' 
department  alone.  It  is  worth  recording  that  a  few 
devout  laymen,  who  taught  Christian  Doctrine  in  the 
basement  of  St.  Patrick's,  organized  the  St.  Patrick's 
Christian  Doctrine  Society,  with  Mr.  McDonnell  as 
the  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Society.  Mr.  O'Hanlon  succeeded  Mr. 
McDonnell,  but  soon  made  way  for  John  Drumgoole, 
who  subsequently  as  Father  Drumgoole  founded  the 
Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin  for  destitute  chil- 
dren, and  erected  the  splendid  buildings  at  Mount  Lo- 
retto  and  Lafayette  Place.  His  memory  is  held  sacred 
by  the  Catholics  of  New  York.  Under  his  zealous  ad- 
ministration, the  Sunday-school  attendance  advanced 
to  three  hundred  and  fifty.  The  Christian  Doctrine 
Society  not  only  provided  suitable  instruction  for  chil- 
dren and  adults,  but  it  established  a  night  school  for 
the  education  of  immigrants  in  elementary  subjects, 
and  acted  as  a  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society  in  furnish- 
ing clothes  and  food  for  the  needy.* 

Until  1817,  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  was  under  the 
management  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  St.  Peter's. 
On  April  11th  of  that  year,  the  boards  were  separated, 
the  corporate  title  of  St.  Peter's  becoming  "The  Trus- 
tees of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York." 

The  board  consisted  of  nine  lay  trustees  with  the 
Bishop  of  the  Diocese  as  the  President  ex-ofhcio.    The 

*The  Seminary,  p.   126. 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  75 

trustees  were  elected  annually  from  among  the  pew- 
holders.  On  Easter  Monday  (notice  of  the  annual 
election  being  given  during  divine  service  on  the  three 
Sundays  preceding),  each  year  three  trustees  went 
out  of  office,  and  three  others  were  elected  to  fill  the 
vacancies.  The  corporation  could  not  sell  any  real 
estate  without  previous  permission  of  the  Chancellor 
of  the  State. 

Here  it  will  be  useful  to  sum  up  the  different  changes 
made  in  the  incorporation  of  St.  Peter's  and  St.  Pat- 
rick's. St.  Peter's  was  first  incorporated  by  itself 
June  10,  1785,  under  the  title  "Trustees  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York."  April  23, 
1787,  "Trustees  for  the  Roman  Catholic  Congregation 
of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York  in 
America."  By  the  general  law  of  April  5,  1813,  St. 
Peter's  and  St.  Patrick's  were  incorporated  conjointly. 
Finally,  they  were  incorporated  separately  by  the  Act 
of  1817,  St.  Peter's  on  April  11th,*  and  St.  Patrick's 
on  April  14th  .f 

This  separate  incorporation  was  precipitated  by  the 
difficulties  that  arose  between  Bishop  Connolly  and  the 
trustees.  On  November  14,  1817,  the  trustees  had 
decided  to  accept  the  services  of  the  Rev.  William 
Taylor,:):  and  voted  £60  to  pay  his  transportation  to 
New  York.  He  arrived  in  June,  1818,  being  pre- 
ceded by  the  Rev.  Charles  D.  Ffrench,  who  came  in 
January. §  These  clergymen  took  the  places  of  the  two 
able  Jesuit   Fathers,   Kohlmann||    and   Fenwick,   who 

*  Laws  1817,  Ch.  CCV.,  p.  238. 

t  Laws  1817,  Ch.  CCXXXIX.,  p.  275. 

t  Historical   Records   and   Studies,   Vol.    I.,  p.   215. 

8  Ibid.,  Vol.  II..  p.  40. 

1 1  Father  Kohlmann,  while  pastor  of  St.  Peter's,  baptized  John  Mc- 
Closkey,  afterwards  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  New  York,  and  later  in 
Rome,  until  his  death,  acted  as  Father  McCloskey's  spiritual  director. 


76  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

were  withdrawn  by  their  superior  in  1817.  Bishop 
Connolly,  though  in  his  sixty-seventh  year,  had  to  per- 
form all  the  duties  of  a  parish  priest.  He  was  most 
zealous  in  hearing  confessions,  in  attending  the  sick, 
and  sang  High  Mass  every  Sunday,  without  miter 
or  crozier.* 

To  these  obstacles  was  added  the  opposition  of  the 
trustees,  who  refused  to  support  the  two  churches, 
withdrew  the  salary  of  the  clergy,  and  at  times  threat- 
ened to  withhold  that  of  the  Bishop.  Bishop  Connolly 
brought  about  a  separate  incorporation  of  the  two 
churches,  and  succeeded  in  getting  trustees  of  his  own 
choice  to  manage  the  Cathedral.  An  effort  was  then 
made  to  get  control  of  St.  Peter's.  As  a  result,  the 
clergy  and  faithful  were  divided  into  two  parties,  one 
comprising  the  Bishop,  with  Fathers  Ffrench  and  Car- 
bry,  the  other  led  by  Fathers  Taylor  and  Malou.  The 
subsequent  meetings  of  the  trustees  became  very 
stormy.  At  the  elections  held  in  March,  1818,  four 
policemen  were  summoned  to  preserve  order.  Matters 
reached  a  crisis  in  April,  1819,  when  Father  Ffrench 
attended  a  meeting  of  the  board,  took  the  chair  forci- 
bly, and  gave  the  trustees  "a  piece  of  his  mind."  The 
trustees  ordered  the  Bishop  to  suspend  Father  Ffrench, 
which  he  refused  to  do.  The  trustees  appealed  to 
Archbishop  Marechal,  of  Baltimore,  who  declined  to 
take  any  action.  Father  Taylor  was  dispatched  to 
Rome  to  bring  the  matter  before  the  Propaganda.  The 
contest  ended  with  a  victory  for  Bishop  Connolly. 

The  minutes  of  St.  Peter's  and  St.  Patrick's 
churches  reveal  the  various  stages  in  the  development 
of  trusteeism,  which  was  eventually  crushed  by  the 

*  Bayley,  p.  84. 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  77 

great  Bishop  Hughes.  We  have  already  noted  that  the 
trustees  claimed  the  right  to  choose  their  own  pastors 
and  insisted  that  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  approve 
their  selection.  For  them  the  standard  of  priestly  ex- 
cellence was  ability  to  preach  and  thus  increase  the  rev- 
enue of  the  church,  by  drawing  large  congregations. 
On  April  11,  1820,  the  trustees  resolved  that  no  "ad- 
vertisements should  be  placed  on  the  doors  or  any 
other  part  of  either  of  the  churches,  unless  authorized 
and  directed  by  their  respective  board  of  trustees,  or 
by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Connolly  for  the  spiritual 
affairs." 

On  June  6th  of  the  same  year,  the  board  resolved: 
"That  for  the  purpose  of  terminating  the  engagement 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Malou  as  the  officiating  clergyman 
in  St.  Peter's,  that  a  joint  meeting  of  this  board  and 
that  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  shall  be  requested." 
The  boards  met,  and  named  a  committee  to  inform  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Malou  that  his  services  were  no  longer  re- 
quired in  St.  Peter's  Church,  and  discontinued  his 
salary.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is  abundant  evidence 
that  the  trustees  were  a  zealous  set  of  men,  and  acted, 
as  a  rule,  from  good  motives.  It  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  it  was  no  easy  task  in  those  days  to  secure 
sufficient  revenue  to  support  the  churches,  the  clergy, 
and  the  schools.  The  trustees  appointed  committees 
to  stand  in  the  porches  of  the  churches  on  Sundays 
and  solicit  donations.  Besides,  the  clergy  made  a  house 
to  house  collection  in  the  various  wards  of  the  city,  and 
in  each  ward  a  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  ac- 
company them  and  aid  in  securing  funds.  On  June  23, 
1820,  the  joint  boards  of  trustees  issued  the  following 
appeal  to  the  Catholics  of  New  York. 


78  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

To  the  Roman  Catholic  inhabitants  of  the  city 
of  New  York  : 
The  trustees  appointed  by  you  to  manage  the  tem- 
poral concerns  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  and  St. 
Peter's  Church,  feel  themselves  under  the  necessity  of 
addressing  you  in  this  early  stage  of  their  administra- 
tion on  the  subject  of  their  finances.  It  is  already  well 
known  to  you  that  a  heavy  debt  has  been  incurred, 
for  the  payment  of  which  both  churches  are  equally 
bound.  The  interest  paid  on  the  debt  annually  absorbs 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  income.  The  actual 
amount  of  the  debt  at  this  time  is  $45,000.  The  in- 
terest to  be  provided  for  within  the  year  amounts  to 
the  sum  of  $3,150.  This  money,  with  the  salaries 
agreed  to  be  paid  the  officiating  clergy,  would  nearly 
equal  the  amount  of  the  church  revenues  in  the  most 
favorable  seasons.  That  on  which  we  have  entered 
unfortunately  promises  to  be  one  of  a  directly  con- 
trary character,  for  the  same  causes  which  lower  the 
prices  of  the  produce  of  our  country,  and  the  rent  of 
houses,  'has  affected  the  sales  of  pews  in  St.  Peter's 
Church.  That  excitement  which  arose  to  its  height  at 
the  period  of  our  last  election,  still  unfortunately  con- 
tinues, and  under  its  influence  a  considerable  majority 
of  those  persons  who  were  then  opposed  to  the  return 
of  the  present  acting  trustees  have  withheld,  and  still 
continue  to  withhold,  the  amounts  respectively  due  by 
them.  Whilst  thus  its  income  is  decreased,  an  expense 
must  be  incurred  by  your  trustees,  but  unavoidable, 
which  they  deem  it  their  duty  to  state  to  you.  Some 
of  the  sashes  and  window-frames  over  the  approach 
of  St.  Peter's  Church  are  decayed  and  falling  to  pieces, 
owing  to  the  neglect  of  keeping  them  glazed  and 
painted.  These  must  be  replaced  by  new  ones,  and  to 
preserve  the  sashes  and  frames  which  still  remain  sound, 
they  and  all  the  external  work  of  the  building  must  of 
necessity  be  painted  this  season.  The  paling  that  en- 
closes the  burying-ground  of  this  church,  always  in- 
sufficient to  resist  the  pressure  of  the  high  banks  that 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  79 

fall  on  it  from  within,  is  also  in  many  parts  decayed 
and  projected  into  the  street,  suffering  the  earth  prob- 
ably formed  from  the  decomposition  of  human  bodies 
to  be  exposed  to  public  view.  Decency,  and  the  re- 
spect that  is  due  to  the  memory  of  the  persons  buried 
in  that  ground,  dictate  the  propriety  of  replacing  the 
defective  part  in  Barclay  Street  between  the  church 
and  the  free  school  with  solid  masonry,  which  it  is 
purposed  will  be  effected  this  year.  Thus  with  in- 
creased expenses  and  diminished  means,  that  object 
which  so  deeply  interests  us  all,  of  diminishing  the 
amount  of  the  debt  due  by  the  churches  can  not  be  ef- 
fected, to  any  extent,  from  its  ordinary  revenues.  The 
interest  of  the  debt  our  funds  are  amply  sufficient  to 
pay,  and  we  are  bound  to  give  that  precedence  over  all 
other  demands,  by  every  consideration  that  can  influ- 
ence religious  and  honorable  men.  The  support  of  the 
clergy  they  also  trust  they  shall  be  able  to  provide  for. 
If  your  aid  were  necessary  for  that  purpose,  knowing 
the  affection  and  respect  you  bear  them,  your  trustees 
could  not  suffer  themselves  to  doubt  for  a  moment  that 
you  would  cheerfully  come  forward  and  contribute,  to 
afford  them  that  support  which  they  have  been  prom- 
ised, and  which  they  have  the  right  to  expect  as  your 
pastors.  To  relieve  the  churches  from  the  perpetually 
recurring  embarrassment  occasioned  by  the  magnitude 
of  this  debt,  can  only  be  effected  by  lessening  its 
amount,  and  this  requires  your  hearty  cooperation,  to 
obtain  which  your  trustees  have  thought  it  their  duty  to 
make  this  statement.  They  have  appointed  a  commit- 
tee to  accompany  one  of  the  reverend  clergymen  to  call 
on  you  individually  for  such  aid  as  your  circumstances 
and  your  zeal  will  induce  you  to  afford,  and  they  call 
on  you  their  brethren  and  their  constituents,  they  ear- 
nestly and  solemnly  call  on  you,  to  come  forward  and 
afford  your  assistance,  not  with  an  apathy  nor  with  a 
coldness  of  indifference,  but  with  a  warmth  of  human 
devotion  to  the  interests  of  the  holy  religion  they  pro- 
fess, and  the  energy  that  inspires  the  people  of  that 


80  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

country  which  gave  you  birth,  when*  its  character  or 
credit  requires  their  generous  exertions. 

James  J.  McDonnell, 

Secretary. 

On  September  21,  1820,  at  a  joint  meeting  of  the 
boards  of  trustees,  Cornelius  Darby  Noon,  Joseph 
Idley,  Robert  Fox,  and  James  J.  McDonnell  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  make  a  search  in  the  office  of 
the  Register  in  the  City  and  County  of  New  York,  and 
find  whether  the  deeds  "conveying  the  lots  on  which  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral  and  St.  Peter's  Church  stand,  also 
the  deeds  of  conveyance  of  those  lots  which  form  the 
burying-grounds  annexed  respectively  to  those  churches 
have  been  duly  recorded."  On  the  following  Monday, 
September  25th,  the  committee  reported  to  the  board 
that  they  had  found  on  record  "A  deed  of  conveyance 
of  ten  lots  of  ground  from  Acquila  Giles  and  Eliza,  his 
wife,  to  St.  Peter's  Church,  bearing  date  the  fourteenth 
of  January,  1803,  and  recorded  in  February,  1813,  in 
Book  104,  Page  465,  but  they  did  not  succeed  in  finding 
any  record  of  the  deed  conveying  the  other  ten  lots 
from  David  WagstafT,  which  along  with  those  conveyed 
by  Acquila  Giles  form  the  twenty  lots  on  which  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral  stands,  with  the  burying-ground 
thereunto  annexed,  nor  did  they  find  any  record  of  the 
deed  conveying  the  lots  on  Barclay  Street  on  which  St. 
Peter's  Church  and  its  burying-ground  are  placed." 
The  committee  then  called  on  Mr.  Andrew  Mor- 
ris, who  promised  to  make  inquiries  and  inform  the 
committee  as  to  where  these  two  deeds  might  be 
found. 

On  September  23d  the  committee  was  informed  by 
Mr.  Morris  "that  the  deed  from  Trinity  Church,  con- 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  81 

veying  the  lots  on  Barclay  Street,  was  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Stoughton  and  the  other  deed  from  David  Wag- 
staff,  before  mentioned,  was  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  James 
Lynch,  of  Broadway."  Mr.  Morris  gave  assurances 
that  the  deeds  would  be  turned  over  to  Mr.  Larue,  who 
would  have  them  recorded. 

Finally,  under  date  of  September  29,  1820,  the  rec- 
ords of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  give  the  official  report 
of  this  committee  as  follows : 

The  committee  appointed  on  the  subject  of  recording 
the  deeds  of  the  churches  reported  that  the  deeds  al- 
luded to  were  lodged  with  the  Register  of  the  City  and 
County  of  New  York  at  half  after  twelve  on  Wednes- 
day, the  twenty-seventh  of  September,  by  Mr.  Louis 
Larue ;  that  your  committee  had  called  at  the  Register's 
three  successive  times  the  day  before  they  were  lodged 
for  the  purpose  of  being  recorded.  In  these  deeds  your 
committee  have  taken  notice  of  the  dates,  the  names  of 
parties,  consideration,  and  some  other  particulars,  viz.: 

Grantors,  David  Wagstaff  and  Sarah,  his  wife,  to  St. 
Peter's  Church,  May  23d,  1801,  consideration,  $2,312. 

Second.  Robert  Wagstaff  and  Fanny,  his  wife,  to 
St.  Peter's  Church,  one  lot,  January  12,  1811,  $600. 

Third.  Robert  Wagstaff  and  Fanny,  his  wife,  to  St. 
Peter's  Church,  one  lot,  January  12,  1811,  $600. 

Fourth.  Which  with  ten  lots  from  Giles  mentioned 
in  former  record  form  the  Cathedral  lots. 

Fifth.  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  to  St.  Peter's 
Church,  March  8,  1796,  for  $1,000. 

Under  date  of  July  15,  1823,  at  a  joint  meeting  of 
the  boards,  it  was  resolved  "That  the  purchase  agreed 
to  be  made  by  the  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral 
of  three  lots  of  ground,  adjoining  the  burial-ground  at 
said  Cathedral,  from  Mrs.  Jewell,  is  approved  of  by  this 
board  (St.  Peter's),  and  they  agree  to  pay  or  secure, 


82  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

when  necessary,  the  sum  of  $300,  the  price  of  one  lot, 
toward  said  purchase." 

At  this  period  the  health  of  Bishop  Connolly  was 
considerably  impaired.  Among  the  minutes  of  the 
trustees'  meeting,  we  find  a  copy  of  a  letter  of  sym- 
pathy addressed  to  Bishop  Connolly  during  his  illness. 

The  first  priest  to  receive  Holy  Orders  in  the  Cathe- 
dral was  the  Rev.  Richard  Bulger,  who  was  ordained 
by  Bishop  Connolly  in  1820.*  Father  Bulger  was  at 
St.  Patrick's  at  intervals  between  1820  and  1824.  We 
are  told  that  in  those  days,  in  order  to  accustom  the 
people  to  go  "out  of  town"  to  the  new  church  (St.  Pat- 
rick's), services  were  held  in  it  and  in  St.  Peter's  on 
alternate  Sundays.  Bishop  Connolly,  in  spite  of  his 
difficulties  with  the  trustees,  of  the  infirmities  of  age, 
and  his  arduous  labors,  determined  to  reduce  the  debt 
on  the  Cathedral,  which  had  cost  $90,000.  In  1824 
there  was  a  debt  of  $53,000.  The  Bishop  called  meet- 
ings of  the  faithful  and  made  a  special  appeal  to  the 
wealthy,  with  such  success  that  in  1830  only  $24,000 
remained  to  be  paid.  His  next  project  was  to  pro- 
vide a  more  extensive  burial-ground.  The  oldest  Catho- 
lic tombstones  in  this  city  are  those  in  Trinity  church- 
yard. The  first  cemetery  for  the  Catholics  in  New 
York  was  attached  to  old  St.  Peter's  Church.  It  ceased 
to  exist  in  June,  1836,  when  the  remains  and  the  earth 
were  removed  to  make  way  for  the  building  of  the 
present  structure.f 

*  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  II.,  p.  43. 

t  In  1823,  Madame  Charlotte  Melmoth,  who  kept  a  private  school, 
and  had  among  her  pupils  John  McCloskey,  afterwards  Cardinal,  was 
buried    in    St.    Patrick's    Cemetery.     The    burial    record    has    this    entry: 

"Charlotte  Melmoth,  aged  seventy-three  years.  Birthplace,  England; 
place  of  death,  107  Washington  Street;  date  of  death,  September  28, 
1823." 


COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  83 

Most  of  the  remains  were  conveyed  to  the  Cathedral 
ground  and  there  reinterred.  After  St.  Peter's,  the 
graveyard  at  St.  Patrick's  old  Cathedral  was  opened 
for  interments.  The  original  plot  was  rather  small, 
and  in  1824  it  was  necessary  to  purchase  additional 
ground  extending  to  Prince  Street  from  Mott  to  Mul- 
berry. In  August  of  that  year  this  new  portion  was 
solemnly  blessed  by  Bishop  Connolly,  assisted  by  Fath- 
ers O'Gorman  and  Shanahan.  At  Vespers  Father 
O'Gorman  preached  in  Gaelic  in  the  Cathedral  and 
made  a  strong  appeal  for  the  new  cemetery.  A  collec- 
tion was  taken  up  and  brought  $450.  Within  a  few 
months  the  heart  of  the  venerable  Bishop  was  wholly 
crushed  by  the  death  of  his  two  most  faithful  priests, 
Fathers  O'Gorman  and  Bulger,  who  passed  away  with- 
in eight  days  of  each  other,  in  November,  1824.  They 
died  in  the  Bishop's  house,  No.  512  Broadway,  and 
were  buried  at  the  left  of  the  Cathedral  near  the  south 
door.  Bishop  Connolly  did  not  long  survive.  He  con- 
tracted his  fatal  illness  while  attending  the  funeral  of 
Father  O'Gorman  and  died  at  his  home,  February  6, 
1825,  on  Sunday  evening  at  seven  o'clock. 

In  The  New  York  Gazette,  Thursday,  Feb.  10,  1825, 
we  read :  "The  remains  of  the  pious,  worthy,  and  ven- 
erable Bishop  Connolly  were  entombed  yesterday  after- 
noon, attended  by  a  larger  concourse  of  people  than  is 
usual  on  such  occasions.  For  the  last  two  days  the 
body  of  this  good  man  lay  in  state  in  St.  Peter's  Church 
in  Barclay  Street,  and  it  is  said  that  not  less  than 
thirty  thousand  persons  visited  this  novel  exhibition. 
Everything  connected  with  this  ceremony  was  con- 
ducted in  a  most  solemn  and  appropriate  manner,  and 


84  COMPLETION  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

reflects  much  credit  on  the  Catholics  of  our  city."  His 
body  was  interred  near  the  altar,  but  later  when  the 
new  vaults  were  built,  the  remains  were  transferred  to 
the  one  appropriated  to  the  clergy.* 

During  his  administration,  Bishop  Connolly  ordained 
the  following  priests  :  The  Rev.  Richard  Bulger,  1820, 
who  was  the  first  priest  ordained  in  the  city  of  New 
York,f  the  Rev.  Patrick  Kelly,  in  1820  or  1821,  the 
Rev.  Charles  Brennan,  1822,  the  Rev.  John  Shanahan, 
1823,$  and  the  Rev.  John  Conroy,  1825. § 


*  Bayley,  p.  99. 

t  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  II.,  p.  43. 

t  Ibid.,   Vol.   II.,  p.  45. 

§  Ibid.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  47. 


CHAPTER  III. 
Memories  of  Old  St.  Patrick's. 

Right  Rev.  John  Dubois,  Third  Bishop. — First 

consfxration. flrst      dlocesan      synod. flrst, 

Second,  and  Third  Provincial  Councils. — Death 
of  Archbishop  Hughes. — Installation  of  Arch- 
bishop McCloskey. — Old  St.  Patrick's  burned, 
Oct.  6,  1866. — Re-dedicated  March  17,  1868. — In- 
vestiture of  First  American  Cardinal. — Rectors. 

The  See  of  New  York  remained  vacant  nearly  two 
years,  during  which  time  it  was  administered  by  the 
Very  Rev.  John  Power,  who  had  been  appointed  Vicar 
General  by  Bishop  Connolly.*  Father  Power  was  one 
of  the  first,  if  not  the  first,  of  the  sons  of  Maynooth, 
who  came  to  this  country.  He  came  to  America  in 
1819  at  the  request  of  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's,  of 
which  he  became  rector  in  1822,  and  shortly  after  was 
named  Vicar  General  and  Administrator  of  the  Dio- 
cese. Father  Power  was  a  holy  and  learned  priest  and 
displayed  unusual  tact  in  dealing  successfully  with  the 
trustees.  When  the  See  became  vacant  by  the  death  of 
Bishop  Connolly,  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  and  St. 
Patrick's  sent  a  petition  to  Rome,  asking  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  Father  Power  as  their  Bishop.  The  Prop- 
aganda, however,  selected  as  the  third  Bishop  of  New 
York  the  Rev.  John  Dubois,f  who  was  consecrated  by 
Archbishop  Marechal  on  October  29,  1826,  in  the 
Cathedral    of    Baltimore.     Bishop    Dubois    was    the 

*  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  II.,  p.  42. 

t  Ibid.,  Vol.  I.,  p.  278;  Vol.  II.,  p.  50.     Bayley,  p.   101. 


86  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

founder  and  first  President  of  Mt.  St.  Mary's  College, 
Emmittsburg,  and  was  sixty-two  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  election. 

In  New  York  City  there  were  but  three  churches 
and  35,000  Catholics.  In  the  whole  Diocese,  compris- 
ing the  State  of  New  York  and  a  considerable  part  of 
New  Jersey,  there  were  only  eight  churches,  eighteen 
priests,  and  185,000  souls.  Bishop  Dubois  took  pos- 
session of  his  Cathedral  in  November,  1826. 

"On  the  feast  of  All  Saints  I  took  possession  of  my 
See,"  he  wrote,  "with  what  an  impression!  Was  not 
my  heart  penetrated  at  the  sight  of  the  immense  crush 
that  filled  the  Cathedral!  I  estimate  the  number  of 
the  faithful  present  at  more  than  4,000.  They  were 
only  the  representatives  of  more  than  150,000  others 
who  were  not  present."  President  Jackson  styled 
Bishop  Dubois  the  most  complete  gentleman  he  had 
ever  met.  His  first  residence  was  in  Prince  Street,  cor- 
ner of  Crosby.  Then  he  moved  to  the  house  in  Mul- 
berry Street,  which  was  built  for  him,  and  was  half 
of  the  present  rectory.  The  Truth-teller  of  September 
16,  1826,  contains  the  following  list  of  the  churches  and 
clergy  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

St.  Peter's  Church,  the  Very  Rev.  John  Power,  V.  G. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Malou. 

St.  Patrick's,  the  Rev.  T.  C.  Levins,*  and  the  Rev. 
William  Taylor. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  the  Rev.  Hatton  Walsh,f  and  the 
Rev.  Timothy  Maguire.J 

In  a  letter  to  the  Council  of  the  Propagation  of  the 

*  Historical   Records  and  Studies,   Vol.   II.,  p.  49. 
tlbid.,  Vol.   II.,  p.  50. 
J  Ibid.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  51. 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  87 

Faith  at  Lyons,  the  Bishop  observed:  "I  am  obliged 
to  fulfil  at  the  same  time  the  duties  of  a  Bishop,  parish 
priest  and  catechist."* 

Like  his  predecessor,  Bishop  Dubois  had  to  battle 
with  the  evils  of  trusteeism.  His  appointment  was  not 
acceptable  to  a  considerable  number  of  the  Catholics  of 
New  York,  who  had  asked  for  the  Very  Rev.  John 
Power.  They  did  not  hesitate  to  make  plain  their  dis- 
satisfaction with  the  appointment  of  one  who  was  a 
stranger  to  them.  We  are  told  that  they  refused  to  pay 
the  salary  of  the  priest  who  was  appointed  rector  of  the 
Cathedral  by  the  Bishop,  instead  of  a  clergyman  pro- 
posed by  the  trustees.  A  committee  called  on  Bishop 
Dubois  and  informed  him  that  they  could  not  "conscien- 
tiously vote  the  Bishop's  salary,  unless  he  gave  them 
such  a  clergyman  as  would  be  acceptable  to  them."  The 
Bishop  replied,  "Well,  gentlemen,  you  may  vote  the 
salary,  or  not,  just  as  it  seems  good  to  you.  I  do  not 
need  much.  I  can  live  in  the  basement  or  in  the  garret ; 
but  whether  I  come  up  from  the  basement  or  down 
from  the  garret,  I  will  still  be  your  Bishop."f 

The  first  prelate  consecrated  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral was  the  Right  Rev.  John  Hughes,  who  became 
Bishop  of  Basileopolis  and  coadjutor  to  Bishop  Du- 
bois on  June  7,  18384  Bishop  Dubois  was  the  Conse- 
crator,  assisted  by  the  Right  Rev.  Francis  P.  Kenrick, 
coadjutor  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  Rev.  Benedict  J. 
Fenwick,  Bishop  of  Boston.  The  sermon  was  preached 
by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Mullady,  S.J.  The  Cathedral 
could  not  accommodate  the  immense  throng,  and  plat- 
forms were  erected  around  the  walls  outside  so  that  the 

*  Bayley,  p.  113. 

flbid.,  p.  112. 

%  In  1839  the  Diocese  of  New  York  had  sixty-three  priests. 


88  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

ceremony  might  be  viewed  through  the  windows.  Two 
weeks  later,  Bishop  Dubois,  already  weakened  by  long 
illness,  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  left  the  admin- 
istration of  the  Diocese  to  his  young  and  vigorous  coad- 
jutor. He  died  on  December  20,  1842,  at  his  residence 
in  Mulberry  Street.  At  his  own  request  he  was  buried 
under  the  pavement  immediately  in  front  of  the  main 
entrance  to  the  Cathedral. 

On  March  17,  1842,  Bishop  Hughes  dedicated  the 
new  sanctuary  and  vestries  which  were  begun  by  Bishop 
Dubois  in  1838.  This  addition  carried  the  Cathe- 
dral to  Mott  Street,  and  made  it  the  largest  church 
structure  in  New  York  City  in  those  days.  The  first 
Diocesan  Synod  was  held  in  St.  Patrick's  on  August 
28,  1842.*  The  clergy,  fifty- four  in  number,  spent  the 
week  previous  in  spiritual  retreat  at  St.  John's  College. 
-  At  the  opening  session  in  the  Cathedral,  the  Rev.  John 
McElroy  delivered  the  discourse.  The  subsequent 
meetings  were  held  at  St.  John's  College. 

Some  of  the  most  violent  exhibitions  of  religious 
bigotry  known  in  the  United  States  were  directed 
against  old  St.  Patrick's.  In  1835  an  attempt  was 
made  to  burn  or  otherwise  ruin  the  Cathedral ;  in  1842 
a  reckless  mob  broke  the  windows  of  the  Cathedral  and 
of  the  Bishop's  house;  in  1844,  during  the  "Native 
American"  disturbances,  when  James  Harper  was  a 
candidate  for  the  Mayoralty,  a  monster  torchlight  pa- 
rade formed  in  City  Hall  Park,  and  marched  through 
Chatham  Street  and  the  Bowery,  intending  to  pass  the 
Cathedral  through  Prince  Street  and  burn  it.  Bishop 
Hughes  filled  the  Cathedral  and  adjoining  graveyard 
with  armed  men.       The  "Native  Americans"  avoided 

*  Shea,  Vol.  III.,  p.  538. 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  89 

St.  Patrick's  that  night.  From  1835  to  1855  so  intense 
was  the  opposition  to  Catholics  in  this  city  that  fre- 
quently the  Cathedral  and  other  churches  had  to  be 
guarded  at  night  by  armed  parishioners. 

March  10,  1844,*  is  one  of  the  brightest  days  in  the 
history  of  St.  Patrick's.  Within  its  walls  on  that  date, 
three  Catholic  priests  were  elevated  to  the  dignity  of 
the  episcopate.  The  new  prelates  were  the  Right  Rev. 
John  McCloskey,  Bishop  of  Axiere,  and  coadjutor  of 
New  York,f  the  Right  Rev.  Andrew  Byrne,  Bishop  of 
Little  Rock,  Ark.,$  and  the  Right  Rev.  William 
Quarter,  Bishop  of  Chicago. §  The  ceremony  excited 
the  greatest  interest  among  Protestants  as  well  as 
Catholics.  It  is  estimated  that  between  seven  and  eight 
thousand  people  assembled  in  and  around  the  Cathe- 
dral, to  witness  the  magnificent  procession  and  conse- 
cration services.  Bishop  Hughes  had  made  every  ef- 
fort to  render  the  ceremony  as  imposing  as  possible. 
The  interior  of  the  Cathedral  was  beautifully  deco- 
rated, and  the  sanctuary  was  ornamented  with  flowers 
and  glittered  with  lights,  "which  threw  an  added  luster 
upon  the  pontifical  vestments  and  other  appurtenances 
of  the  Bishops-elect."  An  eye-witness  writes :  "Since 
the  enlargement  and  decided  improvement  in  the  Cathe- 
dral, there  is  perhaps  no  edifice  in  the  country  so  well 
fitted  for  the  due  celebration  of  the  solemn  ceremonies 
of  religion.  The  sanctuary — that  all  important  portion 
of  a  Catholic  church,  yet  so  sadly  contracted  and  ill- 
treated  for  the  sake  of  an  additional  pew — here  so  spa- 

*  On  Jan.  29,  1843,  six  deacons  were  ordained  priests.  It  was  con- 
sidered an  extraordinary  event. 

t  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  II.,  p.  65;  Vol.  I.,  p.  48;  Vol. 
I.,  p.  218;  Vol.  II.,  p.  9;  Vol.  II.,  p.  268. 

t  Ibid.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  78. 

§  Ibid.,  Vol.  II.,  p.  56. 


90  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

cious,  extending  across  the  entire  width  of  the  church, 
and  nearly  thirty  feet  in  depth,  beautiful  and  appropri- 
ate tabernacle,  and  a  magnificent  window  of  stained- 
glass,  is  in  itself  and  at  any  time  an  impressive  sight  to 
the  most  unintelligent  observer,  but  was  on  this  occa- 
sion doubly  so."  The  procession  started  from  the 
sacristy  at  half -past  nine  precisely,  and  passing  along 
outside  the  sanctuary,  entered  in  front  of  the  great 
altar.  The  Consecrator  was  the  Right  Rev.  John 
Hughes,  Bishop  of  New  York. 

The  Freeman's  Journal  of  March  16,  1844,  makes 
this  observation  about  the  number  of  the  clergy  who 
were  present:  "Altogether,  the  number  of  clergy  and 
seminarians  during  the  day  could  not  have  been  far 
from  seventy,  and  to  the  Catholic  heart  it  must  have 
been  not  the  least  consoling  of  the  many  reflections 
suggested  by  the  occasion,  that  from  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  this  one  city,  so  many  ecclesiastics 
and  religious  could  be  assembled,  without  withdrawing 
from  a  single  congregation  the  opportunities  of  divine 
service  in  their  own  church.  Surely  such  an  abun- 
dance of  laborers  promises  well  for  the  gathering  in  of 
the  harvest  of  this  great  Diocese !" 

The  consecration  sermon  was  delivered  by  the  Very 
Rev.  John  Power,  D.D.  The  scene  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  ceremony,  when  the  new  Bishops  made  the  cir- 
cuit of  the  church,  and  blessed  the  people,  is  described 
as  wonderfully  impressive  and  touching.  The  crowd 
seemed  to  be  as  impenetrable  as  the  stone  walls  of  the 
Cathedral,  and  yet  as  the  Bishops  approached  it  re- 
ceded, without  the  least  disturbance,  and  old  and  young 
knelt  in  reverence  to  receive  the  episcopal  benediction. 
The  services  lasted  exactly  five  hours,  and  notwith- 


dfizc-rt/eo/  vu  '^wvitey 


^ic^o^ia^u^us,  <£  ^-o&yi   %c 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  91 

standing  the  thousands  who  had  gathered  to  witness 
them,  not  a  single  accident  or  untoward  incident  is  re- 
corded. The  writer  in  The  Freeman's  Journal  concludes 
hisaccountof  the  consecration  with  these  words :  "Thus 
passed  and  terminated  a  day  which  in  no  spirit  of  vain 
words  we  say  will  be  not  only  long  memorable  in  this 
Diocese,  but  will  be  remarkable  in  the  annals  of  Catholi- 
cism in  the  United  States — a  day  which  the  Catholic 
historian  will  love  to  dwell  upon  with  delight,  and 
record  upon  his  glowing  page  as  the  advent  of  one  of 
the  many  bright  eras,  which,  please  God,  will  illustrate 
the  history  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  the  New 
World."* 

Three  years  later,  on  October  17,  1847,  Bishop 
Hughes  consecrated  the  Right  Rev.  John  Timon  first 
Bishop  of  Buffalo.f 

The  Very  Rev.  John  Power,  pastor  of  St.  Peter's, 
and  Vicar  General  of  the  Diocese,  passed  away  on 
April  14,  1849,  and  was  universally  mourned  by  the 
Catholics  of  New  York.  His  body  lay  in  state  in  St. 
Peter's,  and  was  then  borne  to  the  Cathedral,  where 
the  obsequies  were  held.  Bishop  Hughes  preached  on 
the  occasion,  and  paid  an  eloquent  and  well-deserved 
tribute  to  Father  Power's  thirty-two  years  of  service  in 
the  mother  parish  of  the  Diocese. 

New  York  was  erected  into  an  archiepiscopal  See  by 
Pope  Pius  IX.  on  July  19,  1850,  with  the  Dioceses  of 
Boston,  Hartford,  Albany,  and  Buffalo  as  Suffragan 
Sees 4  Archbishop  Hughes  received  the  pallium  from 
Pope  Pius  IX.  in  Rome  on  April  3,  1851.     On  October 

*  The  Freeman's  Journal,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  300. 

t  The  Diocese  of  New  York  had  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  priests 
when  the  Sees  of  Albany  and  Buffalo  were  made. 

t  The  Diocese  of  New  York  had  one  hundred  and  thirteen  priests 
when  the  Sees  of  Brooklyn  and  Newark  were  created. 


92  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

30,   1853,   St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  again  witnessed  a 
triple  consecration. 

On  that  day  His  Excellency,  Mgr.  Bedini,  Apostolic 
Nuncio  to  Brazil,  consecrated  the  Right  Rev.  John 
Loughlin,  Bishop  of  Brooklyn,  the  Right  Rev.  J. 
R.  Bayley,  Bishop  of  Newark,  and  the  Right  Rev. 
Louis  de  Goesbriand,  Bishop  of  Burlington,  Vt.  At 
10.45  A.M.  the  priests  started  from  the  Archbishop's 
residence  and  passed  through  Mulberry,  Prince  and 
Mott  Streets  into  the  Cathedral.  The  Archbishop 
walked  under  a  rich  crimson  velvet  canopy,  nearly  six 
feet  square,  lined  with  changeable  green  silk.  Four 
trustees  of  the  Cathedral  carried  the  canopy.  Among 
those  present  were  Bishop  Fitzgerald  of  Boston,  Bishop 
McCloskey  of  Albany,  Bishop  Timon  of  Buffalo,  Bishop 
O'Reilly  of  Hartford,  and  Bishop  Connolly  of  St. 
Johns,  N.B.  The  Freeman's  Journal  observes,  under 
date  of  November  2,  1853 :  "As  the  procession  passed 
through  the  streets,  it  was  regarded  with  great  re- 
spect by  the  spectators,  who  almost  without  exception 
uncovered  their  heads.  Not  the  slightest  interruption  or 
confusion  occurred."  The  consecration  sermon  was  de- 
livered by  Archbishop  Hughes.  On  such  a  significant 
occasion  the  great  prelate  could  not  help  comparing  the 
rapid  progress  made  by  the  Church  with  its  humble  be- 
ginning. His  words  are  worth  quoting  here :  "Many  of 
you  remember  when  there  was  no  Bishop  in  New  York, 
and  no  great  motive  for  a  Bishop  coming  here.  .  .  . 
What  were  the  Catholics  at  that  time?  It  was,  I  be- 
lieve, in  1816,  through  the  greater  part  of  New  Jersey, 
and  the  whole  of  New  York  there  were  supposed  to  be 
from  10,000  to  16,000  poor  and  scattered  foreigners, 
yet  they  were  too  many  to  be  neglected.     How  many 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  93 

were  the  priests  to  assist  and  support  the  Bishop  ?  Only 
three.  Time  has  passed  on.  What  was  then  so  in- 
significant a  Bishopric  is  now  a  Metropolitan  See,  and 
however  unworthy  the  occupant  of  that  See,  he  will 
not  on  that  account  restrain  an  expression  of  his  pride, 
at  least  his  great  religious  joy,  at  perceiving  within  the 
seven  past  years  four  illustrious  Sees,  offshoots  from 
the  primitive  one  established  in  New  York  in  1816. 
There  has  been  a  similar  change  in  the  Diocese  of 
Boston,  so  that  there  are  now  nine  Bishops  in  a  region 
where  about  six  years  ago  there  were  but  two." 

The  first  Provincial  Council  of  New  York  was 
opened  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  on  Sunday,  October 
1,  1854.  Three  solemn  sessions  were  held:  the  open- 
ing session,  the  session  of  Wednesday,  and  the  closing 
session  on  Sunday,  October  8th.  The  religious  and 
clergy  assembled  in  the  archiepiscopal  residence,  and  at 
11  o'clock  marched  in  solemn  procession  to  the  Cathe- 
dral. The  Right  Rev.  Dr.  McCloskey  was  the  cele- 
brant of  the  Pontifical  Mass.  He  was  followed  by  the 
Archbishop.  The  procession  passed  down  Mulberry 
Street  through  Prince  to  Mott,  and  entered  the  east 
door  of  the  Cathedral.  At  the  end  of  the  Gospel,  Arch- 
bishop Hughes  preached  an  eloquent  discourse  to  the 
congregation  that  filled  every  available  seat  in  the 
Cathedral.  The  Archbishop  began  his  sermon  as  fol- 
lows: 

"The  first  Provincial  Council  of  the  ecclesiastical 
Province  of  New  York  is  about  to  be  solemnly  opened 
under  the  invocation  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  ...  It 
is  an  event  in  the  history  of  the  Church  in  this  coun- 
try. There  are,  there  must  be  many  within  the  sound 
of  my  voice  who  recollect  the  time  when  there  was  no 


94  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

Bishop  in  all  that  is  now  this  Province,  and  scarcely 
more  than  two  or  three  priests.  Contrasting  the  mem- 
ory of  that  day  with  the  spectacle  which  you  now  wit- 
ness, those  persons  must  be  struck  with  the  wonderful 
development  and  progress  which  religion  has  made 
within  this  interval." 

At  the  close  of  the  session,  the  clergy  and  prelates 
returned  to  the  archiepiscopal  residence  in  solemn  pro- 
cession as  before.  The  Freeman's  Journal  of  October 
7,  1854,  observes:  "The  day  and  the  ceremonies  were 
the  most  grand,  most  interesting,  and  most  impressive 
that  the  Catholics  of  New  York  City  have  ever  wit- 
nessed." 

During  the  Council  two  congregations  were  held  each 
day.  The  prelates  with  the  secretaries  of  the  Council 
held  a  private  meeting  each  morning  at  ten  o'clock.  The 
prelates  and  theologians,  with  the  representatives  of 
the  Religious  Orders,  met  together  in  the  general  con- 
gregation each  afternoon  at  three  o'clock.  Besides, 
special  subjects  were  assigned  for  discussion  to  particu- 
lar committees,  who  reported  to  the  general  congrega- 
tion. The  theologians  who  attended  the  Council  were 
as  follows: 

The  Very  Rev.  J.  J.  Conroy,  V.  G.,  to  the  Right  Rev. 
Dr.  McCloskey. 

The  Rev.  J.  M.  Forbes,  to  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Fitz- 
patrick. 

The  Rev.  William  Quinn,  to  the  Right  Rev.  Dr. 
Timon. 

The  Rev.  Matthew  Hart,  to  the  Right  Rev.  Dr. 
O'Reilly. 

The  Very  Rev.  Mr.  Reffeina,  V.G.,  to  the  Right  Rev. 
Dr.  Loughlin. 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  95 

The  Very  Rev.  J.  Moran,  V.G.,  to  the  Right  Rev.  Dr. 
Bayley. 

The  Very  Rev.  P.  M.  Mignault,  V.  G.,  to  the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  de  Goesbriand. 

The  representatives  of  the  Religious  Orders  were 
the  Rev.  Father  Boullanger,  Pro-Provincial  of  the 
Jesuits. 

The  Rev.  Father  Helmprecht,  rector  of  the  Redemp- 
torists. 

The  second  solemn  session  was  held  on  Wednesday. 
A  Solemn  Pontifical  Mass  was  celebrated  by  the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  de  Goesbriand  for  the  deceased  Bishops  and 
clergy  of  the  Province.  The  preacher  was  the  Right 
Rev.  Dr.  Fitzpatrick. 

The  closing  session  was  held  on  Sunday,  October 
8th.  The  ceremonies  were  as  magnificent  as  those  of 
the  opening  day.  The  procession  started  at  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Archbishop  and  followed  the  same  route 
through  Mulberry,  Prince,  and  Mott  Streets  to  the 
Cathedral.  The  preacher  on  this  occasion  was  the 
Right  Rev.  Bishop  McCloskey. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Council,  these  decrees  were 
promulgated  :* 

First,  Profession  of  obedience  and  devotion  to  the 
Holy  Father. 

The  second  promulgated  anew  the  decrees  of  the 
seven  Provincial  Councils  of  Baltimore. 

The  third  forbade  priests  to  mortgage  church  prop- 
erty without  the  permission  of  the  Bishop. 

The  fourth  repeated  the  injunctions  of  the  National 
Council  of  Baltimore   respecting   Catholic   education, 

*  Life  of  Archbishop  Hughes,  by  Hassard,  p.  367. 


96  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

and  exhorted  clergymen  to  labor  zealously  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  schools. 

The  fifth  admonished  priests  that  it  was  unlawful 
for  them  to  exercise  functions  of  the  ministry  requiring 
faculties,  except  within  their  own  Diocese,  or  with  the 
permission  of  the  Bishop  in  whose  Diocese  they  may  be 
sojourning. 

The  sixth  enjoined  upon  all  parish  clergymen  the 
duty  of  providing  as  soon  as  possible  a  pastoral  resi- 
dence adjacent  to  the  church,  the  title  of  which,  as 
well  as  of  all  other  church  property,  was  to  be  in  the 
name  of  the  Bishop. 

At  the  close  of  the  Council,  Archbishop  Hughes,  in 
the  name  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Province,  issued  a  pas- 
toral letter,  exhorting  all  the  faithful  of  the  Province  to 
bear  themselves  with  dignity  and  patience  during  the 
Knownothing  persecution.  At  this  time  the  question 
of  Italian  unity  excited  world-wide  interest,  and  the 
American  papers  were  filled  with  insulting  articles  on 
the  Papal  Government.  Archbishop  Hughes  determined 
that  the  Catholics  of  America  should  not  remain  silent 
under  such  persistent  misrepresentation.  He  assembled 
the  Bishops  in  the  second  Provincial  Council  in  the  last 
days  of  January,  and  presented  to  them  a  pastoral  let- 
ter, dated  the  nineteenth  of  January,  which  they  all 
signed. 

The  letter  read  in  part:  "If  princes  are  weary  of 
the  glorious  privilege  which  God  has  conferred  on  them, 
of  protecting  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  let  them  abdicate 
any  such  pretensions.  Let  them  not,  however,  spring 
upon  Catholic  Christendom,  without  notice,  a  policy  so 
cruel,  so  unjust,  as  that  which  they  seem  to  meditate. 
Let  them  make  known  to  Christendom  that  they  have 


ORIGINAL    IN    THE!    ARCHBISHOP'S     HOUSE.,    PAINTED  BY  THE  LATE  AUGUSTINE   HEALY. 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  97 

ceased  to  protect  the  Head  of  the  Church.  Let  them 
allow  ten  years  for  the  Catholic  peoples  to  provide  the 
means  of  sustaining  and  defending  the  Holy  Father  in 
all  his  rights,  and  it  will  be  strange  indeed  if  the  sub- 
jects shall  not  during  that  period  be  in  position  to  carry 
on  a  duty  which  the  sovereigns  have  neglected  or  be- 
trayed." 

The  Catholics  received  the  letter  with  the  greatest 
joy.  To  the  surprise  of  the  Archbishop,  some  of  the 
papers  accepted  the  whole  doctrine  and  in  special  arti- 
cles recommended  it  to  their  readers.  Copies  were 
sent  to  all  the  monarchs  of  Europe,  with  the  exception 
of  Queen  Victoria  and  King  Victor  Emmanuel,  and 
also  to  the  Bishops  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  The 
Pope  had  the  letter  translated  into  Italian,  and  distrib- 
uted throughout  Italy.  To  Archbishop  Hughes  is  due 
in  great  measure  the  loyalty  and  devotion  to  the  Holy 
See  which  are  characteristic  of  the  Catholics  of 
America. 

On  the  following  first  of  July,  the  Archbishop  de- 
livered one  of  his  most  eloquent  discourses  on  the  Pope. 
The  Cathedral  was  crowded  to  the  doors,  and  never  did 
its  walls  echo  more  thrilling  words  than  those  uttered 
by  the  venerable  prelate  in  defence  of  the  Vicar  of 
Christ.  Our  people  to-day  will  be  astonished  to 
learn  that  the  Catholics  of  New  York  contributed  the 
magnificent  sum  of  $53,000,  which  was  forwarded  to 
Pope  Pius  IX.,  with  a  suitable  address  of  sympathy 
from  his  children  in  New  York. 

The  third  Provincial  Council  was  held  in  June  of 
the  year  1861.  Seven  important  decrees  were  passed 
on  the  duties  of  the  clergy,  the  superintendence  of 
church  schools,  the  solemn  celebration  of  the  Mass, 


98  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

marriage  regulations,  church  revenue,  and  church 
property. 

In  November,  1861,  Archbishop  Hughes  was  sent 
to  Europe  by  the  United  States  Government  to  exert 
his  great  influence  abroad  for  the  interests  of  this  coun- 
try, which  was  then  in  the  throes  of  Civil  War.  On 
August  17,  1862,  shortly  after  his  return,  he  delivered 
in  the  Cathedral  his  famous  sermon  on  the  war.  His 
remarks,  especially  on  drafting,  called  forth  consider- 
able criticism,  and  alienated  many  of  his  Southern 
friends  and  admirers.  "If  I  had  a  voice,"  he  said,  "in 
the  councils  of  the  nation,  I  would  say :  Let  volunteers 
continue  and  a  draft  be  made.  If  three  hundred  thou- 
sand men  be  not  sufficient,  let  three  hundred  thousand 
more  be  called  upon,  so  that  the  army  in  its  fulness 
of  strength  shall  be  always  on  hand  for  any  emer- 
gency. This  is  not  a  cruelty:  this  is  mercy:  this  is 
humanity.  Anything  that  will  put  an  end  to  the 
draggling  of  human  blood  across  the  whole  surface  of 
the  country."*  • 

St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  which  had  so  often  resounded 
with  the  eloquent  tones  of  the  great  prelate,  was  soon  to 
open  its  portals  for  his  last  visit.  He  died  on  Sunday 
evening,  January  3,  1864,  between  seven  and  eight 
o'clock,  while  Bishop  McCloskey  was  reciting  the  pray- 
ers of  the  Church  for  a  departing  soul.  On  Tuesday 
morning,  January  5th,  about  four  o'clock,  the  body  was 
removed  from  Madison  Avenue  to  the  Cathedral  in 
Mulberry  Street,  and  placed  on  a  catafalque,  which 
stood  upon  the  very  spot  where  Archbishop  Hughes 
had  knelt  twenty-six  years  previous  to  receive  the  epis- 
copal consecration.     The  Cathedral  had  been  enlarged 

*  The  Freeman's  Journal,  Aug.   23,   1862. 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  99 

since  1838,  and  what  was  the  sanctuary  then  is  now  part 
of  the  nave.  The  church  was  draped  in  deep  mourn- 
ing. The  Archbishop  was  laid  out  in  episcopal  vest- 
ments, with  miter  and  crozier.  For  two  days  the  body 
lay  in  state  and  was  viewed  by  about  two  hundred  thou- 
sand persons.  The  obsequies  took  place  on  Thursday, 
January  7th,  the  anniversary  of  his  consecration.  An 
immense  throng  filled  every  approach  to  the  Cathedral. 
The  courts  and  other  public  offices  suspended  business, 
and  appropriate  resolutions  were  passed  by  the  Com- 
mon Council  and  State  Legislature.  Eight  Bishops  and 
nearly  two  hundred  priests  attended  the  ceremonies. 
Bishop  McCloskey  preached  the  sermon  and  paid  this 
tribute  to  the  illustrious  Archbishop:  "We  have  this 
to  say  in  conclusion.  That  if  ever  there  was  a  man 
who  in  the  whole  history  and  character  of  his  life  im- 
pressed upon  us  the  sense  and  the  conviction  that  he 
had  been  raised  up  by  God,  was  chosen  as  His  instru- 
ment to  do  an  appointed  work,  and  was  strengthened 
by  His  grace,  and  supported  by  His  wisdom  for  the 
accomplishment  of  the  work  for  which  he  had  been 
chosen  and  appointed,  that  man  was  Archbishop 
Hughes.  He  was  from  the  beginning  until  the  end 
clearly  and  plainly  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of 
God."* 

On  Sunday,  August  21,  1864,  Archbishop  McCloskey 
was  installed  as  Archbishop  of  New  York.  "The  be- 
loved Dr.  McCloskey  was  on  Sunday  installed  solemnly 
as  Archbishop  of  New  York.  It  was  a  magnificent  af- 
fair. The  procession  was  robbed  of  some  of  its  ac- 
cessories by  the  severe  rain.  It  had  to  be  formed  in 
the  Cathedral  sacristy  and  confined  to  the  building. 

*  Life  of  Archbishop  Hughes,   Hassard,   p.   504. 


100  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

Most  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Province  graced  the  oc- 
casion. The  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Spalding  of  Balti- 
more was  also  present.  The  new  Archbishop  preached 
on  the  occasion,  and  drew  a  contrast  between  the 
mourning  so  recently  come  upon  the  Cathedral  and  its 
present  joy  at  the  reception  of  its  new  pontiff.  'It  has 
been  with  you,  beloved  brethren,  even  as  it  was  with 
the  Apostles  on  Resurrection  night.  Your  hearts  were 
sad,  the  prelate  whom  you  had  revered  so  highly,  the 
father  whom  you  had  loved  so  long  and  so  well,  was 
taken  from  you.  The  joy  of  your  eye,  the  pride  of 
your  heart,  had  departed.  Shadows  had  fallen  upon 
your  path.  You  felt  that  you  had  been  left  orphans. 
The  shining  light  of  the  sanctuary  was  extinguished. 
The  Holy  of  holies  was  encompassed  with  the  gloom  of 
mourning.  This  church  and  See  of  New  York  sat 
widowed  and  desolate,  for  her  great  and  good  Arch- 
bishop was  no  more.  But  now  the  scene  is  changed. 
The  church  is  holding  high  festival,  for  the  pall  of  sor- 
row, which  had  so  long  enveloped  her  altar,  has  dis- 
appeared. The  garment  of  her  widowhood  has  been 
laid  aside,  while  she  celebrates  this  day  with  great 
pomp  and  splendor  her  new  nuptials.'  "* 

On  the  night  of  October  6,  1866,  historic  St.  Pat- 
rick's was  destroyed  by  fire.f  The  Freeman's  Journal, 
October  13,  1866,  has  the  following  account  of  the 
disaster : 

*  The  Freeman's  Journal,   August  27,    1864. 

t  The  Cathedral  took  fire  in  1835,  but  was  saved  by  a  heroic  act. 
"All  who  stood  by  one  night  in  1835  when  the  south  side  of  the 
roof  was  ignited  by  sparks  from  a  fire  a  short  distance  off  must  still 
remember  the  beating  of  the  heart  as  they  watched  the  daring  man  who 
at  the  risk  of  his  life  started  from  the  peak  to  slide  to  the  burning 
spot.  There  was  at  that  time  no  guard  around  the  eaves  of  the  build- 
ing, and  had  he  failed  to  check  his  downward  course  at  the  opening 
already  made  by  the  fire,  his  death  was  unavoidable.  At  the  risk  of 
his  life  he  saved  the  building."      (Bishop  McQuaid.) 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  1U1 

"The  old  Catholics  of  New  York  have  met  with  a 
loss  that  money  can  never  replace.  Our  dear  old  Cathe- 
dral has  burned  down.  St.  Patrick's,  extending  from 
Mott  to  Mulberry  Street,  and  flanked  by  Prince  Street 
on  the  south,  and  the  old  burying-ground  on  the  north, 
took  fire  on  the  night  of  the  sixth  inst.  from  embers  fly- 
ing from  another  fire  on  Broadway.  By  what  we  learn 
after  the  first  confusion,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mullen  and 
other  reverend  gentlemen  attached  to  the  Cathedral,  in 
the  absence  of  the  Vicar  General,  at  the  risk  of  their 
lives  saved  the  sacred  vessels  and  the  Holy  of  holies, 
and  many*of  the  honored  surroundings,  most  of  the 
vestments  and  even  all  the  pictures  were  rescued  by  the 
bold  and  gallant  daring  of  one  or  another — but  the  old 
Cathedral  is  gone!  It  was  the  oldest  Catholic  church 
in  New  York  City.  The  parish  of  St.  Peter's  is  older, 
but  its  church  is  newer.  Cardinal  Cheverus,  while  ex- 
iled from  his  native  land  by  French  black  Republicans, 
and  while  Bishop  of  Boston,  dedicated  it  in  1815.  The 
remains  of  Bishop  Connolly,  of  the  saintly  Brute,  and 
of  Archbishop  Hughes  lie  in  the  vaults  beneath,  and  the 
old  Cathedral  is  consecrated  by  so  many  memories. 
So  many  have  been  christened  there,  so  many  mar- 
riages have  been  celebrated  there,  so  many  funerals! 
So  many  dear  to  us  repose  in  the  vaults.  No !  Money 
can  never  restore  old  St.  Patrick's! 

"The  fire  fortunately  did  not  work  down  to  the  mor- 
tuary vaults,  the  remains  of  the  dead  are  undisturbed. 
The  building  stands  a  bleak  ruin  of  tottering  walls. 
Most  of  its  material  value  is  destroyed.  The  absolute 
loss  is  probably  $40,000  or  $50,000.  This  is  not  appal- 
ling— but  old  St.  Patrick's  is  gone !" 


102  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

The  Cathedral  was  rebuilt  within  the  four  walls  that 
remained,  and  dedicated  on  the  feast  of  St.  Patrick, 
March  17,  1868.  The  Freeman's  Journal,  March  28, 
1868,  has  a  brief  notice  of  the  event.  "Honored  old 
St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  was  burned  up  in  the  autumn 
of  1866.  It  has  been  rebuilt  with  great  improvements.* 
This  St.  Patrick's  Day  was  appropriately  chosen  for  the 
blessing  of  the  new  building.  Archbishop  McCloskey 
officiated  at  the  Benediction  and  at  the  Solemn  High 
Mass,  assisted  by  the  venerable  Vicar  General  Starrs 
and  other  priests.  The  Redemptorist  Father  Schneider, 
for  many  years  a  missionary  in  Ireland,  and  we  sup- 
pose for  that  reason  chosen,  pronounced  a  most  elo- 
quent discourse  on  the  occasion." 

A  few  months  later,  on  July  12,  1868,  the  newly  built 
Cathedral  witnessed  the  consecration  of  the  present 
venerable  Bishop  of  Rochester,  the  Right  Rev.  Ber- 
nard McQuaid.  The  Freeman's  Journal,  July  18,  1868, 
records  it  as  follows:  "The  Right  Rev.  B.  J.  Mc- 
Quaid, late  President  of  Seton  Hall  College,  N.  J., 
was  consecrated  first  Bishop  of  Rochester,  New  York, 
on  Sunday  last.  The  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  of  New 
York  was  the  Consecrator.  The  Right  Rev.  Bishops 
of  this  Province  were  all  present,  as  were  a  consider- 
able number  of  the  clergy  of  New  York  and  New 
Jersey.  The  Rev.  Father  Preston,  of  St.  Ann's, 
preached  the  sermon." 

*  "The  elders  of  the  congregation  whose  memories  go  back  to  that 
which  this  church  edifice  was  before  its  extension  under  Bishop  Hughes, 
remember,  no  doubt,  the  high,  straight-backed  pews,  constructed  ap- 
parently with  a  view  to  uncomfortableness,  the  freezing  temperature  of 
a  winter's  morning  in  a  building  without  a  fire,  and  the  dini  light 
at  a  Lenten  evening's  service,  that  came  from  the  candles  in  tin 
sconces  hung  on  the  columns,  and  just  enough  to  show  the  darkness. 
The  methods  and  arrangements  of  those  times,  and  of  our  fathers, 
were  more  remarkable  for  simplicity  and  economy  than  for  comfort 
and  brilliancy."      (Bishop  McQuaid.) 


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MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  103 

The  second  Diocesan  Synod  was  opened  in  the 
Cathedral  by  Archbishop  McCloskey  on  September  29, 
1868.  The  sessions  continued  during  two  days.  Arch- 
bishop McCloskey  celebrated  the  Solemn  Mass.  About 
one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  clergy  were  present.  The 
Synod  closed  on  the  30th,  with  the  usual  ceremonies. 
The  decrees  of  the  second  Plenary  Council  of  Balti- 
more, already  approved  by  the  Pope,  and  also  the 
decrees  of  the  third  Provincial  Council  of  New  York, 
were  promulgated.  Important  decrees  were  issued  on 
all  the  Sacraments,  except  Holy  Orders.  This  Synod 
decreed  concerning  pastors  of  parishes  "that  no  other 
priest,  even  the  assistant,  had  aught  to  do  with  the 
administration  of  the  parish,  except  the  pastor."* 

The  next  important  event  connected  with  the  Cathe- 
dral was  the  consecration  of  the  Right  Rev.  Francis 
McNeirny  as  Bishop  of  Albany,  which  took  place  on 
April  21,  1872.f 

On  February  10,  1873,  Father  Starrs,  the  Vicar 
General,  was  buried  from  the  Cathedral.^  Father 
Starrs  was  ordained  priest  by  Bishop  Dubois  on  the 
twelfth  of  September,  1834.  He  was  appointed  assis- 
tant at  the  Cathedral,  and  in  1844  became  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's.  He  was  rector  of  the  Cathedral  and  Vicar 
General  in  1853,  and  several  times  Administrator  of 
the  Diocese  during  his  office  of  Vicar  General  from 
1853  to  1873 — notably  during  the  vacancy  of  the  See 
after  the  death  of  Archbishop  Hughes,  and  during  the 
Vatican  Council.  He  died  February  6,  1873.  Arch- 
bishop  McCloskey   sang  the   Mass   of   Requiem  and 

*  Smith,  The  Catholic  Church  in  New  York,  Vol.  II.,  p.  365-373. 

t  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  V.,  p.   171. 

$  The  Freeman's  Journal,  Feb.  8,  1873;  Historical  Records  and 
Studies,  Vol.   II.,  p.   73. 


104  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

Bishop  Loughlin  preached  the  panegyric.  Several  other 
Bishops  attended  the  funeral.  On  May  1,  1873,  the 
Rev.  William  Quinn  was  made  rector  of  the  Cathedral. 
Father  Quinn  was  ordained  December  17,  1845,  by 
Bishop  McCloskey,  then  the  coadjutor  to  Bishop 
Hughes.  Until  September,  1849,  he  was  stationed  at 
St.  Joseph's  Church.  Thence  he  went  to  Rondout  as 
pastor,  but  after  a  few  months  was  recalled  to  New 
York  and  assigned  to  St.  Peter's,  Barclay  Street,  where 
he  labored  for  twenty-four  years.  The  parish  was  in 
great  financial  embarrassment,  but  was  saved  through 
the  great  administrative  abilities  of  Father  Quinn.  He 
became  rector  of  the  Cathedral  in  1873,  and  for  a  time 
was  Administrator  of  the  Diocese,  as  well  as  Vicar 
General.  In  December,  1881,  he  was  made  a  Domestic 
Prelate.  On  April  15,  1887,  Mgr.  Quinn  died  in 
Paris,  while  on  his  way  to  this  country.  "Monsignor 
Quinn  was  an  able  man,  a  successful  administrator  and 
a  true  friend."* 

The  crowning  glory  of  the  old  Cathedral,  the  greatest 
event  in  its  whole  history,  is  the  investiture  of  the  first 
American  Cardinal.  The  Freeman's  Journal  of  May 
1,  1875,  begins  its  description  of  the  ceremony  as 
follows : 

"The  city  of  New  York  was  moved  by  the  event  of 
Tuesday,  April  27th,  at  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Mul- 
berry, Prince  and  Mott  Streets.  There  John  McClos- 
key was  ordained  priest,  there  he  was  consecrated 
Bishop,  there  on  Tuesday  last  he  received  the  burden 
with  an  honor  and  a  rank  next  to  that  of  the  Vicar  of 
Christ.  .  .  .  The  Cathedral  presented  a  throng 
limited  only  by  the  possibilities  of  its  space.     At  twenty 

*  Archbishop  Corrigan,  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  102. 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  105 

minutes  to  eleven  o'clock,  the  reverend  clergy,  to  the 
number  of  many  hundred,  in  cassock  and  surplice  for 
the  secular  clergy,  and  in  the  habits  of  their  Orders  for 
the  Benedictines,  Dominicans,  and  Franciscans  of  the 
Capuchin  Observance,  came  into  the  Cathedral  and 
filed  down  the  middle  aisle  of  the  building,  occupying 
chairs  set  between  the  pews  on  either  side.  When  these 
were  filled,  seats  in  and  around  the  sanctuary,  that  had 
been  greatly  enlarged  for  the  occasion,  were  occupied 
to  the  utmost  possible  extent.  Monsignor  Roncetti,  ac- 
companied by  Dr.  Ubaldo-Ubaldi  as  his  secretary,  was 
ushered  into  the  sanctuary  by  the  Rev.  Father  Kearney 
as  master  of  ceremonies.  Monsignor  Roncetti  bore  in 
his  hands  the  red  biretta,  which  he  placed  on  a  little 
table  at  the  Gospel  side  of  the  high  altar.  Count  Mara- 
foschi  of  the  Pope's  Noble  Guard  took  his  place  behind 
the  table  on  which  the  biretta  rested.  Seven  Arch- 
bishops and  more  than  twenty  Bishops  and  Bishops- 
elect  came  in  procession  from  the  sacristy.  Mon- 
signor Roncetti,  having  put  on  the  scarlet  mantilla  and 
sash  of  white  ermine,  came  next.  He  was  followed 
by  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  New  York,  at  whose 
entrance  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  took  off  their 
miters,  in  recognition  of  his  rank.  The  Pontifical 
Mass  was  celebrated  by  Bishop  Loughlin  of  Brooklyn. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  McGlynn  acted  as  assistant  priest. 
Fathers  McGean  and  Kearney  were  the  deacon  and 
subdeacon.  The  Cardinal  occupied  the  throne  on  the 
Gospel  side,  while  Archbishop  Bayley,  who  had  been 
specially  designated  by  the  Holy  Father  to  confer  the 
biretta,  was  enthroned  on  the  Epistle  side.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  Mass,  Archbishop  Bayley  ascended 
the  Epistle  side  of  the  altar.     Monsignor  Roncetti,  the 


106  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

Papal  Ablegate,  advanced  and  handed  the  Archbishop 
the  Papal  brief,  which  was  read  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mc- 
Glynn.  The  Papal  Envoy  then  presented  the  red 
biretta  to  Archbishop  Bayley,  and  made  an  appropriate 
address,  both  to  Archbishop  Bayley  and  to  the  new 
Cardinal.  The  biretta  was  placed  on  the  head  of  Cardi- 
nal McCloskey,  who  then  made  a  reply  to  the  address 
of  the  Ablegate.  The  Cardinal  addressed  the  congre- 
gation in  a  few  words,  thanking  them  for  all  the  re- 
spect and  devotion  which  had  been  manifested  toward 
him,  and  explaining  that  the  honor  conferred  on  him 
personally  was  intended  by  the  Holy  See  as  an  honor 
to  the  whole  American  episcopate  and  the  laity  as  well. 
His  Eminence  intoned  the  Te  Deum,  which  was  mag- 
nificently rendered  by  the  choir.  Meanwhile,  he  re- 
tired to  the  sacristy  and  was  vested  in  the  scarlet  robes 
of  the  Cardinalate.  About  the  close  of  the  Te  Deum, 
he  appeared  again,  and  ascended  the  altar,  from  which 
he  gave  the  blessing.  It  was  an  occurrence  not  to  be 
described  by  words." 

On  May  1,  1877,  the  Right  Rev.  John  Lancaster 
Spalding,  D.D.,  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Peoria. 
The  Freeman's  Journal,  May  12,  1877,  has  the  follow- 
ing notice :  "The  Right  Rev.  John  L.  Spalding,  D.D., 
late  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  New  York  City,  and  nephew 
of  the  Most  Rev.  Martin  Spalding,  D.D.,  late  Arch- 
bishop of  Baltimore,  was  raised  to  the  sublime  dignity 
of  the  episcopate  on  Tuesday,  May  1st,  in  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral  in  this  city,  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
McCloskey,  Archbishop  of  New  York.  Dr.  Spalding 
is  the  first  prelate  consecrated  by  the  first  American 
Cardinal,  or  by  any  Cardinal  in  America." 

On  May  25,  1879,  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  became 


MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S  107 

a  parish  church.  On  the  previous  Sunday,  the  Very 
Rev.  William  Quinn,  Vicar  General,  who  had  been 
rector  of  the  Cathedral  for  six  years,  bade  farewell  to 
his  congregation,  before  taking  up  his  duties  on  Fifth 
Avenue  and  Fiftieth  Street. 

Three  rectors  of  old  St.  Patrick's  were  raised  to  the 
episcopal  office :  Bishops  Fenwick  of  Boston,  Byrne  of 
Little  Rock,  and  Loughlin  of  Brooklyn.  The  Rev. 
Bernard  O'Reilly,  assistant  in  1832-33,  became  Bishop 
of  Hartford.  Seven  Bishops,  Bayley  of  Newark,  after- 
wards Archbishop  of  Baltimore;  Bacon  of  Portland; 
McCloskey  of  Louisville ;  McQuaid  of  Rochester ;  Mc- 
Neirny  of  Albany;  McDonnell  of  Brooklyn;  and  Col- 
ton  of  Albany,  were  born  within  the  parish  district, 
and  all  but  the  first  were  baptized  at  its  font. 

Among  the  many  priests  born  and  baptized  there, 
we  may  mention  Right  Rev.  Mgr.  M.  J.  Lavelle,  V.G., 
and  rector  of  the  new  St.  Patrick's;  the  Right  Rev. 
John  Kearney,  rector  of  old  St.  Patrick's;  Fathers 
Madden,  Allaire,  Carroll,  Conron,  Corley,  Foy,  Ahearn, 
Shine,  Kelly,  English,  and  Smith.  Father  Daly  of 
Utica;  Right  Rev.  Mgr.  Donnelly,  Fathers  Kean, 
Riordan,  Chas.  O'Keeffe,  Drumgoole,  founder  of  the 
Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin;  Martin,  McCor- 
mick,  Byrne,  and  Hannigan  came  to  St.  Patrick's  parish 
as  children,  where  they  frequented  the  parochial 
schools,  made  their  First  Communion  and  obtained  the 
grace  of  vocation  to  the  holy  priesthood.  Many  sons 
of  St.  Patrick's  are  to  be  found  in  the  Religious 
Orders  and  among  the  Brothers  of  the  Christian 
Schools,  while  a  small  army  of  its  daughters  are 
serving  the  Master  in  the  various  communities  of 
Sisterhoods, 


108  MEMORIES  OF  OLD  ST.  PATRICK'S 

Rectors  of  Old  St.  Patrick's. 

Rev.  Anthony  Kohlmann,  S.J 1      1809-1815 

Rev.  Benedict  Fenwick,  S.J j 

Very  Rev.  John  Power,  Administrator 1825-1826 

Rev.  Thomas  C.  Levins 1826-1834 

Rev.  Andrew  Byrne 1836 

Rev.  John  D.  Urquhart 1836-1840 

Rev.  William  Starrs 1841-1844 

Rev.  John  Loughlin 1844-1853 

Very  Rev.  William  Starrs,  V.G 1853-1873 

Right  Rev.  William  Quinn,  V.G 1873-1879 

Right  Rev.  John  Kearney 1879-1908 


Part  III. 
The  New  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick. 


copr/ficur  ,90i  ar  -i.c."*<ice* 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  New  Cathedral  Begun. 

The  Beginnings  of  the  New  Cathedral. — The 
Site. — Old  St.  John's  Church. — Contracts. — 
Architect's  Report. — Circular  Letter  of  Arch- 
bishop Hughes. — Corner-stone  laid  August  15, 
1858. — Extracts  from  Sermon  of  Archbishop 
Hughes. 

We  have  already  noted  that  the  site  of  the  new 
Cathedral  was  purchased  in  March,  1810,  by  Rev. 
Father  Kohlmann.  Andrew  Morris  and  Cornelius 
Heeney  took  title  to  the  land,  which,  with  some  im- 
provements, cost  $11,000.  A  mansion  on  the  property 
was  occupied  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers  as  their  school, 
known  as  the  New  York  Literary  Institution,  which 
had  been  transferred,  as  already  explained,  from  its 
original  location  opposite  old  St.  Patrick's.  In  the 
summer  of  1813,  the  New  York  Literary  Institution 
was  closed.  The  title  to  the  property  remained  with 
the  Jesuits.*  The  price  they  paid  for  it  above  the  mort- 
gage was  $1,300.  They  sold  it  to  the  Diocese  for  $3,000. 

In  1814,  after  the  college  was  closed,  the  Trappist 
monks  occupied  the  buildings,  and  conducted  an  orphan 
asylum.  They  left  New  York  in  the  autumn  of  that 
year  and  their  work  disappeared  with  them.f 

*  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  333. 

t  It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  the  site  of  the  new  as  of  the  old 
Cathedral,  was  intended  for  a  cemetery.  The  Truth  Teller  published  a 
letter  dated  March  24,  1829,  protesting  against  the  purchase,  because 
the  ground  was  four  or  five  miles  distant  from  City  Hall,  and  unfit 
for  burial  purposes.  A  vault  was  built  on  the  premises  in  1832.  At 
a  meeting  held  March  16,  1833,  the  trustees  determined  to  find  out 
and  prosecute  "the  invaders  of  the  vault  out  of  town."  After  August 
2,  1848,  the  Eleventh  Street  cemetery  and  the  free  vault  at  Fiftieth 
Street,  were  closed. 


112       THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

St.  Patrick's  trustees,  at  a  meeting  held  November 
13,  1827,  invited  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  and  St. 
Mary's  to  a  joint  meeting,  "to  consider  the  propriety  of 
purchasing  a  new  burying-ground."  Accordingly,  on 
May  14,  1828,  a  committee  of  the  members  from  each 
of  these  boards  was  appointed  to  examine  Mr.  Dennis 
Doyle's  place  on  the  Middle  Road,  which  place  is  now 
occupied  by  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Fifth  Avenue, 
Fiftieth  and  Fifty-first  Streets.  A  cursory  examina- 
tion would  have  revealed  the  nature  of  the  soil,  which 
rendered  it  entirely  unfit  for  burial  purposes.  Fortu- 
nately, however,  the  trustees  did  not  make  any  exami- 
nation, and  thus  secured  for  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  valuable  sites  in  the 
United  States.*  The  various  transfers,  beginning  in 
1810,  may  be  briefly  summed  up  as  follows  :f 

Robert  Lylburn  and  wife  to  Francis  Thompson  and 
Thomas  Cadle.  Deed  dated  February  20,  1810.  Re- 
corded in  Lib.  244,  p.  155.     Consideration  $9,000. 

Francis  Thompson  and  wife  and  Thomas  Cadle  and 
wife  to  Andrew  Morris  and  Cornelius  Heeney.  Deed 
dated  March  6,  1810.  Recorded  Lib.  150,  p.  235.  Con- 
sideration $11,000. 

Andrew  Morris  and  wife  and  Cornelius  Heeney  to 
Dennis  Doyle.  Deed  dated  May  21,  1821.  Recorded 
Lib.  244,  p.  140.    Consideration  $2,000. 

Christian  L.  Grim,  master  in  Chancery,  to  Francis 
Cooper.  Master's  deed  dated  November  12,  1828.  Re- 
corded Lib.  246,  p.  429.  Consideration  $5,550.  This 
was  a  foreclosure  sale,  the  suit  being  by  the  Eagle  Fire 
Company  against  Dennis  Doyle  and  others.     As  stated 

*Shea,  Vol.  II.,  p.   168. 

f  New  York  Journal  of  Commerce,  June,  1882. 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  113 

by  Mr.  Beekman,  Mr.  Cooper,  Jan.  30,  1829,  conveyed 
the  property  to  the  trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral 
and  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  as  equal  owners. 

"In  1842,  the  trustees  of  the  Cathedral  and  St. 
Peter's  Church  conveyed  a  part  of  the  land,  about  one 
hundred  feet  square,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Fif- 
tieth Street  and  Fifth  Avenue  to  St.  John's  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a 
church  building.  This  land  was,  however,  sold  under 
foreclosure,  and  after  passing  through  two  or  three 
hands,  was  purchased  by  the  late  Archbishop  Hughes, 
and  by  him  conveyed  to  the  trustees  of  the  Cathedral. 
The  deeds  may  be  found  in  Lib.  412,  p.  221 ;  Lib.  480, 
p.  241;  Lib.  490,  p.  230;  Lib.  521,  p.  193;  Lib.  529, 
p.  173 ;  Lib.  630,  p.  337." 

Until  the  year  1835,  when  St.  Paul's  Church  in  One 
Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Street  was  established,  the 
old  Jesuit  school  at  Fiftieth  Street  and  Fifth  Avenue 
was  the  only  place  where  Mass  was  celebrated  in  the 
central  and  upper  part  of  Manhattan  Island.  When 
the  church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  was  founded  in 
1841,  the  old  college  buildings  were  used  as  a  rectory. 
These  buildings  were  later  removed  to  where  now 
stands  the  Villard  Block  on  Madison  Avenue,  opposite 
the  Archbishop's  residence,  to  make  way  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  present  Cathedral.  The  trustees  of  St. 
Peter's  Church  got  into  debt  and  made  an  assignment 
for  the  benefit  of  their  creditors  on  September  13, 
1844,  and  in  1851,  by  order  of  the  Supreme  Court,  the 
share  of  St.  Peter's  was  conveyed  to  Dr.  James  Roose- 
velt Bayley  and  Jas.  B.  Nicholson.  In  1852  a  parti- 
tion suit  was  instituted  between  the  trustees  of  St.  Pat- 
rick's Cathedral  and  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's,  and  all 


114       THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

the  property  except  that  conveyed  to  St.  John's  Church 
was  divided  between  them  in  severalty.  They  executed 
mutual  confirmatory  deeds,  dated  October  26,  1852. 
That  from  the  Cathedral  is  recorded  Lib.  614,  p.  509, 
and  from  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  Lib.  621, 
p.  187.  Finally,  the  trustees  of  the  Cathedral  pur- 
chased the  lots  set  off  to  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's.* 

About  the  same  time  Archbishop  Hughes,  who  held 
the  record  title  to  the  plot  of  St.  John's  Church,  con- 
veyed it  to  the  Cathedral  trustees.  In  this  manner  the 
title  to  the  entire  block  was  vested  in  the  trustees  of  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral,  where  it  has  ever  since  remained.f 

The  church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  the  pastoral 
residence,  and  the  parochial  school,  stood  for  many 
years  on  the  portion  of  the  property  lying  to  the  east 
of  Madison  Avenue.  "The  church  was  destroyed  by 
fire  while  the  Cathedral  was  in  course  of  erection,  but 
was  immediately  rebuilt,  and  until  the  Cathedral  was 
occupied  was  in  constant  use.  The  church,  though  of 
no  great  material  value,  was  among  the  most  important 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  churches  in  the  city.  The  build- 
ings have  been  removed,  and  all  the  property  lying  to 
the  east  of  Madison  Avenue  was  sold,  with  the  condi- 
tion that  no  other  than  first-class  private  dwellings 
should  be  erected  on  Madison  Avenue,  and  for  a  dis- 
tance of  two  hundred  feet  on  the  streets.  An  offer  of 
a  sum  larger  than  any  previously  made  was  declined 
for  the  reason  that  it  was  understood  that  an  opera 
house  was  to  be  erected  on  the  property."! 

As  early  at  1850,  Archbishop  Hughes  determined  on 

*  See  deed  dated  December  28,  1852.  Recorded  Lib.  630,  p.  338. 
Consideration,  $59,500. 

t  Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  333.     Edw.  J.  McGuire. 
t  New  York  Journal  of  Commerce,  June,   1882. 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  115 

the  construction  of  a  monumental  Cathedral  for  the 
growing  See  of  New  York.  A  few  years  later,  in  1853, 
he  instructed  Mr.  Renwick  to  draw  plans,  which  were 
changed  several  times  until  1858,  when  they  were  defi- 
nitely agreed  upon. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Bureau  of  Contracts  was 
held  at  the  house  of  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  in 
Mulberry  Street,  on  December  16,  1858.  There  were 
present  His  Grace  and  Mr.  Davis. 

The  next  meeting  was  held  on  December  21,  1858,  at 
263  Mulberry  Street.  There  were  present  the  Most 
Rev.  Archbishop,  Messrs.  Smith  and  Carrigan,  as  well 
as  the  architects,  Messrs.  Rodrigue  and  Renwick. 
Mr.  Renwick  read  the  several  proposals  which  had 
been  presented  for  furnishing  stone,  and  a  report  of  the 
architects,  giving  the  results  of  their  experimental  de- 
cisions in  regard  to  the  various  kinds  of  marble  and 
free  stone  which  had  been  submitted  to  them.  They 
recommended  white  marble  from  Hall's  or  from  the 
Pleasantville  quarry,  and,  furthermore,  that  the  entire 
contract  for  the  building  of  the  new  Cathedral  be  given 
to  Messrs.  Hall  and  Joyce. 

The  Bureau  of  Contracts  met  again  on  January  10, 
1859,  in  the  Emigrants  Industrial  Savings  Bank,  51 
Chambers  Street.  Messrs.  Smith,  Carrigan,  Rodrigue, 
and  T.  James  Glover  were  present.  Mr.  Glover  was 
the  legal  advisor.  Mr.  Renwick  submitted  a  form  of 
contract  and  specifications  which  he  had  prepared. 
Various  alterations  were  suggested,  and  the  documents 
were  referred  to  Mr.  Glover  to  examine  and  report 
upon  at  the  next  meeting. 

The  Bureau  of  Contracts  met  on  January  29,  1859, 


116      THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

at  the  Emigrants  Industrial  Savings  Bank.  There  were 
present  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop,  Messrs.  Davis,  Car- 
rigan,  Smith,  Mr.  Glover,  the  counsel,  and  Messrs. 
Renwick  and  Rodrigue,  the  architects,  and  also  Messrs. 
Hall  and  Joyce,  who  had  submitted  to  His  Grace  a  pro- 
posal for  the  erection  of  the  new  Cathedral.  Mr. 
Glover  read  the  form  of  a  contract  which  he  had  drawn 
up.  Mr.  Renwick  presented  further  specifications  to 
the  board. 

Another  meeting  was  held  on  March  14,  1859,  at  the 
Emigrants  Industrial  Savings  Bank.  There  were  pres- 
ent the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop,  Messrs.  Carrigan, 
Smith,  Glover,  Renwick,  Rodrigue,  Hall  and  Joyce,  and 
also  Mr.  Lyon,  as  counsel  for  Hall  and  Joyce.  Mr. 
Glover  presented  another  draft  of  contract  which  had 
been  amended  in  accordance  with  alterations  suggested 
at  the  previous  meeting.  Additional  amendments  were 
made  and  the  board  adjourned. 

The  contract  with  Messrs.  James  Renwick,  Jr.,  and 
William  Rodrigue  is  dated  March  5,  1859.  The  archi- 
tects were  to  receive  $2,500  a  year  for  eight  years.  The 
Archbishop  reserved  the  right  to  suspend  or  discon- 
tinue the  building  at  any  time. 

On  October  19,  1858,  the  architects  drew  up  a  state- 
ment setting  forth  the  probable  cost  of  the  Cathedral 
in  four  varieties  of  stone — glazed  or  brown  free  stone, 
olive  free  stone,  granite,  and  white  marble.  These 
materials  were  examined  as  to  the  price,  quality,  and 
appearance.  The  architects  recommended  very  strongly 
that  the  Cathedral  be  constructed  in  white  marble. 
This  section  of  Mr.  Renwick's  report  reads  as  follows : 

Our  opinion  is  therefore  decided  that  there  is  no 
material  which  combines  the  three  essentials  of  dura- 


C^^^/%^*z^r  C^fcCz^*  <>^& 


w^ 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  117 

bility,  beauty,  and  economy  as  well  as  white  marble. 
As  regards  the  comparative  expense  of  the  whole 
building  in  the  three  materials,  contractors  estimate 
that  the  Cathedral  will  cost : 

In  white  marble $850,000 

In  Albert  Stone 800,000 

In  Belleville  Stone ' 805,000 

In  Dorchester  Stone 830,000 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  the  building  will 
cost  $50,000  more  than  in  the  free  stone.  Our  opinion 
is  that  the  beauty  and  durability  of  the  former  ma- 
terial would  more  than  justify  this  additional  expense, 
and  our  belief  is  that  if  constructed  of  this  beautiful 
material,  it  will  be  as  worthy  of  the  noble  purpose  to 
which  it  will  be  dedicated  as  the  work  of  man's  hands 
can  be. 

The  lowest  estimate  for  white  marble  is  from  the 
East  Chester  Co.  This  material  is  like  granite,  unex- 
ceptionable so  far  as  regards  action  of  weather;  objec- 
tions may  be  made  to  its  color,  but  when  I  call  to  mind 
the  Cathedral  of  Milan,  the  wonder  of  Europe,  I  can 
not  but  express  the  opinion  that  of  all  durable  stones 
this  is  the  most  perfect.  In  Europe  marble  is  so  dear 
that  it  is  almost  considered  a  precious  stone,  and  those 
buildings  such  as  at  Milan,  Pisa,  Florence,  which  are 
wholly  or  in  part  built  of  it,  never  fail  to  attract  at- 
tention, and  satisfy  the  taste  of  the  learned  as  well  as 
the  unlearned  in  architecture. 

Mr.  James  Hall,  President  of  the  East  Chester 
Quarry,  in  company  with  Mr.  William  Joyce,  offered 
to  build  the  whole  Cathedral  of  this  white  marble  for 
the  sum  of  $850,000.  This  estimate  comprised  a  brick 
vault  for  marble  columns  and  a  marble  exterior,  and 
everything  else  except  the  foundations  and  the  furni- 
ture.    The  entire  estimate  was  as  follows : 


118       THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

For  marble  construction $850,000 

For  excavation 7,500 

For  foundations 10,000 

Total $867,500 

The  cubical  contents  were  3,613,000  cubic  feet,  about 
four  and  a  half  times  that  of  Trinity  Church.  This 
estimate  was  considered  remarkably  low,  and  can  be 
accounted  for  only  by  the  reduced  price  of  wages,  and 
the  few  buildings  in  course  of  erection  and  in  prospect. 
The  plan  embraced  two  spires  forty  feet  higher  than 
that  of  Trinity  Church.  The  walls  were  much  thicker, 
windows  more  elegant,  the  doors  much  more  imposing, 
and  the  floor  was  to  be  of  stone  and  marble.  The  archi- 
tect concludes :  "My  judgment,  upon  mature  delibera- 
tion, is  decidedly  in  favor  of  giving  the  contract  to  the 
above  Company  (Hall  and  Joyce  Company).  I  am 
compelled  to  come  to  this  opinion,  first,  from  my  ex- 
perience in  builders;  secondly,  from  the  character  of 
the  men ;  and  thirdly,  the  quality  of  material — durable, 
beautiful,  and  almost  a  precious  stone ;  every  year  will 
add  to  its  beauty,  and  every  turn  of  the  setting  sun  will 
[be  reflected  by  the  spires  and  pinnacles,  and,  thus  form- 
ing a  link  with  the  colors  of  heaven,  will  produce  the 
effect  of  carrying  the  mind  of  the  beholder  to  the  true 
>bject  of  the  building — the  worship  of  the  Maker  of 

universe." 

'he  contract,  signed  March  5,  1859,  was  given  to 
Messrs.  Hall  and  Joyce,  for  the  construction  of  the  en- 
tire work  except  the  altars  and  furnishings.  It  in- 
cluded the  building  of  the  walls  of  the  terrace  and  the 
flagging  of  the  sidewalks.  The  Cathedral  was  to  be 
finished  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  January,  1867. 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  119 

The  cost  was  fixed  at  $850,000.     The  conclusion  of 
the  contract  is  unusual : 

"The  parties  of  the  second  part  further  covenant  and 
agree  that  they  will  not  suffer  or  permit  any  spirituous 
liquors  to  be  brought  or  used  on  said  premises;  that 
they  shall  instantly  discharge  any  workman  who  may 
bring  or  use  the  same  thereon,  and  that  they  will  not 
knowingly  employ  any  workman  who  shall  live  or 
board  at  any  place  in  which  spirituous  liquors  may  be 
sold,  within  two  blocks  east  or  west,  or  four  blocks 
north  or  south  of  said  premises,  under  pain  of  for- 
feiture of  this  contract."     The  contract  was  signed, 

John  Hughes, 

Archbishop  of  New  York. 

William  Joyce, 

James  Hall, 

William  Starrs. 
Meanwhile,  Archbishop  Hughes  addressed  the  fol- 
lowing circular  letter  to  a  number  of  the  leading  Catho- 
lic gentlemen  of  New  York  on  the  subject  of  funds 
for  inaugurating  and  carrying  on  the  work  of  the 
building. 

New  York,  June  14,  1858. 
Gentlemen  : 

The  Archbishop  of  New  York  begs  leave  to  apprise 
you  that  he  will  have  the  honor  to  call  upon  you  per- 
sonally, at  the  earliest  opportunity,  in  reference  to  the 
great  new  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  to  be  erected  on  the 
block  bounded  by  Fifth  Avenue,  west,  and  Madison 
Avenue,  east,  and  between  Fiftieth  and  Fifty-first 
Streets.  The  building  is  to  be  322  feet  long,  97  feet 
wide  in  the  clere,  with  a  transept  172  feet,  and  an  ele- 
vation of  100  feet  from  the  floor  to  the  crown  point 
of  the  clerestory.  The  Archbishop  feels  authorized  to 
present  himself  in  the  name  of  his  office,  of  the  clergy 


120      THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

and  laity  of  his  Diocese,  at  the  head  of  this  great  under- 
taking, and  in  order  that  it  may  be  begun  under  divine 
as  well  as  human  auspices,  he  now  presents  this  first 
portion  of  his  plan  to  those  only  who  may  be  able  and 
disposed  under  noble  impulses  to  aid  him  in  carrying 
it  out.  In  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Amen !  We  propose,  for  the  glory 
of  Almighty  God,  for  the  honor  of  the  Blessed  and  Im- 
maculate Virgin,  for  the  exaltation  of  holy  Mother 
Church,  for  the  dignity  of  our  ancient  and  glorious 
Catholic  name,  to  erect  a  Cathedral  in  the  city  of  New 
York  that  may  be  worthy  of  our  increasing  numbers, 
intelligence,  and  wealth  as  a  religious  community,  and, 
at  all  events,  worthy,  as  a  public  architectural  monu- 
ment, of  the  present  and  prospective  crowns  of  this 
metropolis  of  the  American  Continent.  The  ultimate 
success  of  this  undertaking  is  yet  doubtful,  but  its 
triumphal  accomplishment  will  depend  in  a  great  meas- 
ure on  the  responses  which  I  am  to  receive  from  those 
to  whom  I  have  the  honor  of  addressing  this  letter.  The 
object  only  is  to  ascertain  whether  there  are  not  in  my 
Diocese,  or  rather  in  the  city  of  New  York  itself,  one 
hundred  persons  who  will  subscribe  $1,000  each,  once 
for  all,  to  be  paid  in  quarterly  installments,  if  they  de- 
sire it,  during  the  first  year,  and  to  be  expressly  and  ex- 
clusively appropriated  to  carry  on  the  work  during  the 
same  period.  No  other  appeal  shall  be  made  to  the 
Catholic  body  until  toward  the  end  of  this  first  year, 
dating  from  the  fifteenth  of  August,  1858.  In  about  a 
year  from  that  time,  it  is  my  intention,  and  I  think  with 
reasonable  hopes  of  success,  to  call  for  another 
$100,000  from  those  who  can  contribute  in  sums  less 
than  $1,000,  but  not  less  than  $100  each.  The  success 
of  the  second  year  will  depend  on  that  of  the  first.  In- 
dependent of  the  amounts  thus  provided  at  the  com- 
mencement, the  moral  effect  of  such  a  noble  beginning 
will  be  equivalent  in  importance  to  the  amounts  sub- 
scribed through  the  influence  of  example.  It  will  sus- 
tain the  heart  of  the  people  at  large.     It  will  inspire 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  121 

them  with  an  ardent  desire  to  see  this  great  work  ac- 
complished; it  will  stimulate  them  to  an  honorable  ri- 
valship  in  their  liberal  contributions,  according  to  their 
means,  and  thus  I  anticipate  that,  allowing  five  years  for 
its  completion,  there  should  not  be  a  single  suspension 
of  the  work.  Everything  depends  on  the  first  year. 
My  principle  is  to  pay  as  we  proceed,  up  to  an  amount 
of  half  a  million  dollars ;  and  if  at  that  point  it  should 
be  necessary  to  obtain  a  loan  of  two  or  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  I  do  not  think  that  this  need  frighten 
any  one.  But  I  should  not  wish  it  to  be  consecrated  in 
my  lifetime  until  it  is  finished  from  the  foundation 
stone  to  the  top  of  the  cross  on  the  uplifted  spires. 
Whether  I  succeed  or  not  in  the  object  of  this  com- 
munication, I  shall,  with  the  help  of  God,  bless  and  de- 
posit the  corner-stone  on  the  feast  of  the  Assumption 
of  this  year,  viz.:  the  fifteenth  of  August,  precisely  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

If,  what  I  can  not  anticipate,  I  should  be  unsuccess- 
ful in  the  object  of  this  appeal,  the  corner-stone  shall 
be  laid  the  same,  and  protected  by  an  iron  railing  against 
possible  injury  until  the  arrival  of  better  times.  I  may 
not  have  the  consolation  of  seeing  it  consecrated,  but  I 
can  not  leave  for  my  successor  the  honor  and  great 
privilege  of  seeing  it  begun.  The  names  of  subscribers 
to  this  first  expenditure  shall  be  engrossed  on  parch- 
ment and  deposited  with  other  memorials  in  the  cavity 
of  the  corner-stone,  where,  though  unseen  by  men,  they 
will  ever  be  under  the  eyes  and  inspection  of  God,  and 
will  turn  up  for  honor  and  mercy  on  the  Day  of  Judg- 
ment. These  names,  however,  of  the  first  founders  of 
the  new  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  will  be  handed  down  to 
posterity,  embalmed  in  the  traditions  and  cherished  in 
the  memories  of  future  generations,  a  glorious  example 
and  distinction,  not  only  to  the  people  of  New  York, 
but  also  to  the  whole  United  States  and  the  whole 
Catholic  world. 

+John, 

Archbishop  of  New  York. 


122       THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

One  hundred  and  three  persons  subscribed  one  thou- 
sand dollars  each.  Of  these,  two  were  non-Catholic 
gentlemen  who  in  this  substantial  form  expressed  their 
high  appreciation  of  the  structure  as  an  ornament  to  the 
metropolis  of  the  country.  The  names  of  the  sub- 
scribers to  the  Archbishop's  appeal  will  be  found  in 
the  Appendix. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  letters  of  Arch- 
bishop Hughes  to  Father  Bernard  Smith,  Rome,  will 
give  the  reader  an  insight  into  the  lofty  motives  that 
inspired  the  great  prelate  to  begin  an  undertaking  so 
colossal  in  those  days. 

New  York,  June  16,  1858. 

I  am  preparing  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  our  great 
new  Cathedral  on  Sunday,  the  fifteenth  of  August,  at 
four  o'clock  P.M.  It  is  to  be  Gothic,  322  feet  long,  97 
feet  wide,  a  transept  of  172  feet  and  an  elevation  from 
floor  to  crown  point  of  ceiling  in  clerestory  of  100 
feet.  I  suppose  it  will  cost  one  million  dollars.  I 
am  not  obliged  to  be  alive  when  it  shall  be  completed, 
but  I  think  it  is  my  duty  to  see  it  begun.  Its  locality  is 
the  most  elevated  and  most  central  in  the  city.  It  can 
not  be  built  in  less  than  five  years,  which,  considering 
the  facilities  with  which  great  works  can  be  accom- 
plished in  this  country,  appears  a  long  time. 

New  York,  August  6,  1858. 
I  am  exceedingly  busy  preparing  for  the  laying  of  the 
corner-stone  on  the  feast  of  the  Assumption,  the  fif- 
teenth inst.  All  the  Bishops  of  this  Province  have 
most  kindly  consented  to  give  solemnity  to  the  occa- 
sion by  their  presence.  There  are  one  hundred  and 
twenty  boys  in  preparation  for  responding  to  the  choir 
and  the  clergy  in  chanting  the  appropriate  Psalms.  Of 
course  the  whole  ceremony  on  the  scale  which  I  have 
projected  it  will  produce  a  sensation  in  this  new  coun- 
try. 


riFTH     AVENUE, 
WEST- PORTAL., 


The 

Ground  Plan 

of 

St.  Patrick's 

Cathedral 

1.  Holy  Water  Well. 

2.  Chapel    of    St.    Anthony    of 

Padua. 

3.  Chapel  of  St.  John  the  Evan- 

gelist. 

4.  Chapel      of      St.      Stanislaus 

Kostka. 

5.  Chapel. 

6.  Altar    of   the    Sacred    Heart. 

7.  Chapel  of  St.  Elizabeth. 

8.  Chapel  of  Our  Lady. 

9.  Chapel    of    St.    Michael    and 

St.   Louis. 

10.  High  Altar. 

11.  Entrance     to      Sacristy     and 

Crypt. 

12.  Altar  of  the  Holy  Family. 

13.  Chapel  of  St.  Veronica. 

14.  Chapel  of  St.  Augustine. 

15.  Chapel   of    St.    John    Baptist 

de  la  Salle. 

16.  Chapel    of    St.    Bernard    and 

St.  Bridget. 

17.  Baptismal  Font. 


4  4*  *4. 


•xsva 

3XW3.A.V    NOSldVltt 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  123 

New  York,  August  12,  1858. 
I  have  not  been  more  than  twenty  hours  altogether 
in  making  these  visits  to  collect  money  for  the  new 
Cathedral,  and  I  think  it  will  speak  well  for  the  Catho- 
lics of  New  York  that  more  than  one  hundred  have 
given  one  thousand  dollars  each  for  the  first  year,  as 
laid  down  in  the  circular. 

The  Archbishop  preached  the  sermon  at  the  laying  of 
the  corner-stone  on  August  15th.  What  joy  must  have 
filled  his  heart  as  he  rose  to  address  an  audience  of 
one  hundred  thousand  people!  Some  passages  of  his 
eloquent  discourse  will  be  most  interesting  to  Catholics 
of  to-day. 

At  the  opening  of  his  discourse,  the  Archbishop  re- 
turned thanks  to  the  visiting  prelates,  to  his  own  clergy, 
and  to  the  vast  numbers  of  the  faithful  who  had  come 
to  witness  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone.  He  thanked 
in  a  special  manner  those  Catholics  who  had  given  such 
a  generous  response  to  his  appeal  for  subscriptions. 
"Next  to  Almighty  God,"  he  continued,  "the  corner- 
stone of  this  Cathedral  is  to  be  laid  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Immaculate  Virgin  Mary.  Its  special  patron  is 
announced  as  the  glorious  Apostle  of  Ireland,  St.  Pat- 
rick, originally  selected  as  patron  of  the  first  Cathedral 
commenced  by  our  Catholic  ancestors  in  Mott  Street, 
fifty- two  years  ago.  Their  undertaking  was  indeed  an 
example  of  zeal  and  enterprise  worthy  of  our  commen- 
dation. They  were  few,  they  were  very  poor ;  but  their 
efforts  were  as  large  as  the  Cathedral  which  they  pro- 
jected, and  theirs  were  the  hearts  of  great  men.  It 
might  be  said  of  them  what  is  mentioned  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, but  in  a  different  sense,  that  'There  were  giants 
in  those  days.'     They  laid  the  foundation  of  the  first 


124       THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

Cathedral  at  a  period  when  it  is  said  that  the  Catho- 
lics of  New  York  were  not  numerous  enough  to  fill 
the  small  church  of  St.  Peter  in  Barclay  Street,  and 
that  ten  years  after,  when  the  Cathedral  was  opened,  it 
was  necessary,  during  a  short  period,  to  shut  up  St. 
Peter's  on  alternate  Sundays,  in  order  to  accustom  the 
people  to  find  their  way  to  the  new  church,  which 
was  then  considered  to  be  far  out  of  the  city.  Honor 
to  the  memory  of  our  ancestors  of  that  period! 
The  laws  of  the  Catholic  Church  do  not  permit  more 
than  one  Cathedral  in  one  Diocese.  There  will  be 
but  one  Cathedral  in  this  Metropolitan  See.  It  will 
be  the  same  as  it  has  been  until  the  consecration  of 
this  church.    .    .    . 

"The  spiritual  descendants  of  St.  Patrick  have  been 
outcasts  from  their  native  land  and  have  been  scattered 
over  the  earth.  You  can  trace  their  path  of  life  through 
all  the  civilized  countries  of  the  world.  You  can  trace 
them  through  England  itself,  through  America,  through 
India,  through  Australia,  and  though  there  may  be  no 
mark  to  designate  the  graves  in  which  they  slumber, 
still  the  churches  which  they  have  erected  either  wholly 
or  in  part  all  around  the  globe,  to  the  same  faith  by 
which  St.  Patrick  emancipated  them  from  heathenism 
— these  churches,  I  say,  are  most  fitting  headstones  to 
commemorate  the  existence,  and  I  may  add  in  a  Chris- 
tian sense,  the  honorable  history  of  the  Irish  people. 
.  .  .  On  a  parchment  containing  the  names  of  the 
first  patrons  of  the  Cathedral  now  projected,  the 
United  States  of  America,  Ireland,  Scotland,  England, 
Belgium,  Spain,  France,  and  Germany  are  all  repre- 
sented. The  names  of  members  belonging  to  the 
Catholic  Church  from  all  these  countries  will  slumber 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  125 

side  by  side  on  the  parchment  that  engrosses  them,  and 
is  to  be  deposited  in  the  cavity  of  that  corner-stone. 
Neither  can  I  omit  to  mention  that  two  gentlemen  who 
are  not  Catholics  have  substantially  contributed  each 
the  amount  specified  in  my  circular.  Their  motive  is 
not  their  belief  at  the  present  moment  in  the  Catholic 
religion,  but  it  is  that  they  are  New  Yorkers  by  birth — 
that  they  have  traveled  in  Europe,  and  that  they  are 
ambitious  to  see  at  least  one  ecclesiastical  edifice  on 
Manhattan  Island  of  which  their  native  city  will  have 
occasion  to  be  proud.  With  regard  to  this  anticipation, 
I  can  only  say  that  so  far  as  depends  on  me,  they  shall 
not  be  disappointed.  And  now  my  hundred  and  three 
first  patrons,  what  shall  I  say  to  you  after  having  al- 
ready expressed  my  gratitude  for  the  prompt  and  gen- 
erous manner  with  which  you  have  responded  to  my 
call  ?  I  shall  say  this.  That  you  have  set  an  example 
that  will  edify  your  brothers  both  here  and  elsewhere. 
I  will  say  this  further.  That  those  who  are  to  carry 
on  the  work  for  the  second  year  will  emulate  that  ex- 
ample, and  according  to  their  means  will  rival  you  in 
zeal  and  generosity.  I  will  say  once  again,  that  until 
this  Cathedral  shall  have  been  completed  and  crowned 
with  success,  your  example  will  save  me  from  the 
necessity  of  begging;  or  if  I  should  have  occasion  to 
beg,  it  will  furnish  me  with  a  model  text.  .  .  .  You 
have  given  one  hundred  and  three  thousand  dollars 
toward  the  building  of  a  temple  which  can  add  nothing 
to  the  glory  of  God ;  for  His  is  the  earth  and  the  ful- 
ness thereof.  On  the  other  hand,  this  money  might 
have  been  given  to  the  poor.  All  this  will  be  thrown 
up  at  you  by  those  who  are  of  this  world,  and  have  no 
comprehension  of  what  is  real  faith,  and  what  is  real 


126      THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN 

charity,  and  it  is  significant  that  you  would  seem  to  be- 
long in  this  case  to  the  school  of  Christ,  when  He  bore 
with  the  extravagance  of  Mary  Magdalen  pouring  oint- 
ment on  His  sacred  feet ;  and  your  accusers,  if  it  were 
not  almost  uncharitable  to  say  so,  would  seem  to  belong 
to  the  school  of  him  who  carried  the  purse  and  looked 
upon  the  penitent  Mary's  offering  as  if  it  were  defraud- 
ing the  poor.  Now  I  will  say  for  you  that  this  is  a 
great  work  for  the  poor.  It  comes  up  at  a  time  when 
they  are  unusually  depressed.  Your  charity  will  give 
them  honorable  employment  to  a  considerable  extent; 
and  as  the  world  is  now  constituted,  compensation  for 
honest  labor  is  much  better  than  alms  for  the  relief 
of  poverty  under  an  unavoidable  pressure,  which  im- 
poses idleness  by  necessity  on  the  working  classes. 
Now  when  you  are  reproached  with  your  extravagance, 
ask  your  accusers  whether  it  is  in  fact  a  crime  to  pro- 
vide employment  and  compensation  for  the  mechanic 
and  laborer,  who  really  belong  to  the  substantial  por- 
tion of  society  in  all  countries." 

In  subsequent  letters  to  the  Rev.  Bernard  Smith, 
the  Archbishop  makes  some  interesting  references  to 
the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  and  its  probable  effect  on 
the  Catholic  people  of  this  city  and  of  the  nation. 

September  10,  1858. 
The  multitude  of  the  faithful,  with  a  very  large  num- 
ber of  Protestants,  could  not  have  been  less  than  one 
hundred  thousand.  There  was  no  disorder  among  the 
people,  no  accident  occurred,  and  the  secular  papers 
without  exception  have  spoken  of  the  ceremony  with 
kindest  feelings  of  praise  and  admiration. 

January  31,  1859. 
The  contract  for  the  new  Cathedral  was  finally  set- 


OTQGQAVL'RE  tt    COLC 


EAST       VIEW 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL  BEGUN  127 

tied  on  yesterday.  It  is  to  cost  $850,000,  independent 
of  the  altars,  finishing  of  the  chapels,  organs,  and  other 
furniture.  A  period  of  eight  years  is  allowed  for  its 
completion,  and  I  have  the  right  to  suspend  the  work 
whenever  there  is  a  deficiency  of  moneys  in  cash  to 
carry  it  on.  It  is  a  gigantic  undertaking,  but  it  will 
be  finished  at  some  period,  and  from  that  time  the 
Catholic  Church  will  occupy  the  first  place  in  a  certain 
popular  sense  among  the  people  of  this  immense  city 
and  more  or  less  throughout  the  country. 

The  great  prelate  saw. further  into  the  future  than 
most  of  his  contemporaries.  The  site  of  the  new  Cathe- 
dral in  1858  was  as  much  a  wilderness  as  the  site  of  old 
St.  Patrick's  was  in  1808.  Many  looked  upon  the  build- 
ing of  a  magnificent  Cathedral  at  Fifth  Avenue  and 
Fiftieth  Street  as  a  reckless  undertaking;  some  even 
ridiculed  it.  The  eloquent  discourse  of  Archbishop 
Hughes  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  put  courage 
into  the  most  timid.  Seven  Bishops  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty  priests  witnessed  the  impressive  ceremony. 
For  two  years  the  work  progressed  rapidly.  The 
foundations  were  laid  and  the  construction  was  carried 
up  to  the  water-table.  All  the  funds  collected,  $73,000, 
had  been  spent,  and  the  Archbishop  decided  to  discon- 
tinue the  work  until  the  necessary  means  were  at  hand. 
The  Civil  War  (1861-1865)  brought  on  distress  and 
further  retarded  the  construction. 

Meanwhile,  death  claimed  the  illustrious  prelate  ,*  be- 
fore his  eyes  could  behold  the  glorious  temple  which 
he  had  plaitned  on  earth,  they  were  opened  to  the  in- 
finite beauty  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem:  "Ccelestis 
urbs  Jerusalem:  Beata  pacis  visio" 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Completion  of  the  New  Cathedral. 

Cathedral  Fair. — Dedication  May  25,  1879. — 
First  Consecration. — Translation  of  Archbishop 
Hughes'  Remains. — Cardinal  McCloskey' s  Golden 
Jubilee. — The  Cardinal's  Death. — Installation 
of  Archbishop  Corrigan. — Spires  Erected. — Epis- 
copal Jubilee  of  Archbishop  Corrigan. — His 
Death. — Synods  and  Provincial  Councils. — In- 
stallation of  Archbishop  Farley. — Cathedral 
Parish. 

The  appointment  of  the  Right  Rev.  John  McCloskey, 
Bishop  of  Albany,  to  succeed  Archbishop  Hughes  in 
the  See  of  New  York,  May  6,  1864,  was  fortunate  for 
the  Diocese  and  for  the  Cathedral.  To  his  persever- 
ance, financial  ability,  high  intelligence,  and  refined 
taste  are  due  the  completion  of  the  work  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  the  great  mind  that  had  inaugurated  it.  The 
Cathedral  had  reached  the  water-table  when  operations 
were  suspended.  Shortly  after  the  war,  Archbishop 
McCloskey  resumed  the  construction,  and  completed  it 
with  the  exception  of  the  spires.  He  personally  super- 
vised the  work,  and  twice,  in  1874,  and  in  1878,  while 
in  Europe,  contracted  for  the  furnishings,  such  as 
altars,  sanctuary  decorations,  and  windows. 

On  October  22,  1878,  a  fair  was  opened  in  the 
Cathedral  by  the  Mayor  of  New  York,  the  Hon.  Mr. 
Ely,  in  the  presence  of  Cardinal  McCloskey,  Bishop 
Fabre,  of  Montreal,  and  Bishop  Conroy,  of  Albany. 
Twenty-five    thousand    people    were    present.      The 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      129 

Mayor,  in  his  opening  remarks,  expressed  his  great 
pleasure  that  New  York  possessed  the  most  superb 
ecclesiastical  structure  on  the  American  Continent.  He 
was  impressed  by  the  cosmopolitan  gathering  in  the 
Cathedral  that  night,  and  also  adverted  to  the  refining 
influence  which  such  a  structure  would  have  on  all  the 
people  of  the  city.  Forty-five  parishes  of  the  Diocese 
were  represented  at  the  fair  by  parochial  tables.  The 
fair  closed  on  November  30th.  The  total  receipts 
amounted  to  $172,625.48,  distributed  as  follows: 

St.  Patrick's  Cathedral $12,786.40 

St.  Francis  Xavier 8,324.08 

St.  James 7,294.42 

St.  Vincent  Ferrer 7,244. 19 

St.  Michael 6,259.60 

St.  Agnes 5,055.20 

Nativity 5,048.32 

St.  John  the  Evangelist 3,823.16 

St.  Stephen 3,568.68 

St.  Boniface 3,568.50 

St.  Lawrence 3,396.78 

St.  Joseph 3,169.52 

Sacred  Heart 3,166.69 

St.  Mary 3,116.71 

Annunciation 1,456.71 

St.  Teresa 1,346.97 

The  Assumption 1,275.77 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul 1,130.70 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi 1,001.20 

St.  John  the  Baptist 945.72 

Our  Lady  of  Sorrows 734.26 

St.  Andrew 3,010.54 

St.  Jerome 3,000.00 

Holy  Innocents 2,690.94 

St.  Gabriel 2,509.08 

St.  Paul,  Harlem 2,350.09 


( 
130     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Immaculate  Conception $  2,348.58 

St.  Paul  the  Apostle 2,329.36 

St.  Ann 2,327.96 

St.  Peter 2,118.53 

Most  Holy  Redeemer 2,106.33 

Transfiguration  2,067.18 

Holy  Cross 2,035.34 

St.  Rose  of  Lima 2,026.65 

St.  Colomba 2,000.71 

St.  Anthony 1,933.86 

St.  Bernard 1,874.30 

Holy  Name 1,802.11 

St.  Elizabeth 1,752.72 

St.  Cecilia 1,734.27 

Epiphany 1,708.71 

St.  Joseph,  Harlem 1,522.88 

St.  Brigid 1,502.57 

Refreshment  Table 5,369.50 

Floral  Pavilion 2,931.51 

Journal  of  the  Fair 2,629.00 

Hat  and  Cloak  Room,  etc 1,780.60 

Donations : 

Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Loughlin,  Brooklyn  500.00 

The  Rev.  P.  Egan 300.00 

The  Rev.  C.  R.  Corley 200.00 

The  Rev.  P.  F.  McSweeney 50.00 

Mr.  T.  W.  Tone 100.00 

The  Rev.  M.  J.  McSwiggan 25.00 

The  Rev.  J.  Fitzsimmons 25.00 

Cash 2.50 

From  other  sources 28,318.08 

Total $172,625.48 

A  most  interesting  "Journal"  was  published  during 
the  fair,  under  the  able  direction  of  John  Mullaly. 

St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  was  formally  opened  and 
blessed  on  the  feast  of  St.  Gregory  VII.,  Pope  and  Con- 
fessor, May  25,   1879.     The  newspapers  of  the  day 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      131 

hailed  the  new  Cathedral  as  the  noblest  temple  ever 
raised  in  any  land  to  the  memory  of  St.  Patrick,  and 
as  the  glory  of  Catholic  America.  The  long  procession 
of  priests  and  of  religious  in  their  distinctive  habits  was 
a  most  impressive  sight.  The  Cardinal  made  the  exter- 
nal circuit  of  the  Cathedral  and  blessed  it.  The  Pon- 
tifical Mass  was  then  celebrated.  Thirty-five  Bishops 
and  six  Archbishops  honored  the  occasion  with  their 
presence.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  Bishop  Ryan, 
coadjutor  to  the  Archbishop  of  St.  Louis,  at  present 
Archbishop  of  Philadelphia.  The  sermon  was  worthy 
of  the  greatest  preacher  of  the  American  Church :  "J°v 
holy  and  exultant  fills  our  hearts  to-day  as  we  go  into 
this  glorious  house  of  the  Lord.  This  joy  is  universal. 
You,  Most  Eminent  Cardinal  Archbishop,  rejoice,  be- 
cause you  behold  this  your  great  work  accomplished, 
crowned  by  the  magnificent  ceremony  of  this  morning. 
.  .  .  and  you,  Most  Reverend,  Right  Reverend,  and 
Reverend  brothers  of  the  episcopacy  and  the  clergy,  re- 
joice, for  you  behold  in  the  magnitude  and  majesty  of 
this  temple  the  evidence  that  the  spirit  of  the  ages  of 
faith  still  lives  on — that  the  spirit  that  planned  and 
erected  the  vast  Cathedrals  of  the  Old  World  survives 
in  the  men  of  this  New  World,  and  here  are  found 
heads  to  conceive,  and  hands  to  execute,  and  hearts  to 
love  the  glorious  monuments  that  shall  until  posterity 
be  erected — that  in  the  utilitarian  nineteenth  century, 
Catholic  faith  retains  all  its  fidelity  and  all  its  beauty. 
The  men  of  this  age  have  said  to  us  that  we  could 
possess  no  more  Cathedrals  like  those  of  past  ages,  be- 
cause the  faith  that  built  them  was  dying  or  dead.  Be- 
hold the  splendid  refutation  of  this  charge !  And  also, 
you,  my  dear  brethren  of  the  laity,  I  well  know  what  a 


132     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

flood  of  joy  and  gratitude  to  God  inundates  your  hearts 
to-day,  as  you  behold  this  offspring  of  your  piety  and 
generosity  consecrated  to  your  good  God!  You,  the 
rich  Catholics  of  this  metropolis,  have  nobly  done  what 
was  at  once  your  duty  and  your  highest  pleasure  in 
giving  openly  of  your  means  to  erect  this  temple,  and 
you  are  justly  proud  of  it.  And  what  shall  I  say  to  you 
— the  children  of  toil — who  have  given  so  generously 
and  so  constantly  of  your  scanty  means,  at  the  call 
of  your  devoted  pastor?  I  know  and  feel  how  happy 
you  are  this  morning  under  this  roof  of  your  Father's 
house.  I  know  how  you  glory  in  what  has  been  said, 
as  if  in  reproach,  'that  the  great  Cathedral  of  New 
York  was  built  chiefly  "by  the  pennies  of  the  poor."  ' 
The  pennies  of  the  poor !  The  most  sacred  offering  to 
Him  whose  first  temple  on  earth,  the  first  spot  where 
His  body  and  blood,  soul  and  divinity  were  tabernacled, 
was  the  stable  of  Bethlehem.  .  .  .  It  is  appropriate 
that  the  poor  whom  He  so  honored  should  aid  to  build 
His  house,  which  is  also  their  house  and  home.  We  ac- 
cept, then,  the  imagined  reproach  as  an  honor,  and  we 
ask  in  turn  where  in  this  great  city  hath  the  thousands 
of  bondholders  erected  a  temple  like  this  temple,  built 
up  and  adorned  by  'the  pennies  of  the  poor'  ?  Fearless 
and  alone,  it  stands  above  all  churches  here,  as  the  faith 
which  inspired  its  erection  is  superior  to  all  creeds.  It 
shows  what  poverty  with  faith  can  do,  and  that  the 
Church  has  the  mark  of  Christ  upon  it.  'The  poor  you 
have  always  with  you.'  I  am  satisfied,  too,  beloved 
brethren,  that  the  liberal  non-Catholics  of  New  York 
rejoice  in  the  consummation  of  this  great  work.  They 
behold  the  greatest  church  edifice  of  the  New  World, 
the  ornament  of  their  city,  the  temple  of  religious  art, 


OTOORMURE  &    COLOR    CO 


WEST        VIEW 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      133 

and    the    powerful    means    of    preserving    morality 
amongst  those  who  shall  worship  within  its  walls." 

The  preacher  then  paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  the 
steadfastness  of  the  faith  of  the  Irish  people.  "To- 
day," he  concluded,  "the  eyes  and  hearts  of  that  de- 
voted race  in  every  part  of  the  world  are  turned  to  this 
scene.  Here  they  behold  the  greatest  temple  of  the 
New  World  dedicated  to  God  under  the  invocation  of 
their  national  saint,  and  forever  more  it  shall  be  known 
as  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  of  New  York."  The  Holy 
Father  sent  his  blessing  and  congratulations  to  Cardi- 
nal McCloskey,  who  cabled  the  following  reply : 

To  His  Eminence,  Cardinal  Nina, 
Secretary  of  State  to  His  Holiness, 

Rome. 
Thirty-nine  Archbishops  and  Bishops  unite  with  me 
in  thanking  our  beloved  Holy  Father,  Leo  XIII.,  for 
his  kind  congratulations  and  blessing,  and  in  praying 
God  to  grant  long  life  and  every  good  gift  from  on 
high  to  His  Holiness. 

John,  Cardinal  McCloskey, 

Archbishop  of  New  York. 

The  first  Bishop  consecrated  in  the  new  Cathedral 
was  the  Right  Rev.  Michael  J.  O'Farrell,  Bishop  of 
Trenton,  N.  J.  The  Consecrator  was  Cardinal  Mc- 
Closkey. 

On  January  30,  1883,  the  remains  of  the  illustrious 
Archbishop  Hughes  were  transferred  from  the  vault 
in  old  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  and  solemnly  deposited 
in  the  archiepiscopal  crypt  of  the  Cathedral  which  he 
had  founded.  It  was  a  memorable  day  in  the  history 
of  both  the  old  and  the  new  Cathedrals.  The  coffin 
was  placed  on  a  catafalque  in  the  old  Cathedral,  so  as 


134     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

to  allow  the  faithful  to  gather  and  kneel  for  the  last 
time  at  the  feet  of  the  great  prelate  who  had  rendered 
such  glorious  service  to  religion  in  this  See.  Monday 
evening  the  remains  were  privately  transferred  to  the 
new  Cathedral,  where  they  were  met  at  the  door  by 
Cardinal  McCloskey,  who  had  been  the  coadjutor  of 
the  deceased.  The  coffin  was  deposited  on  a  cata- 
falque, and  Archbishop  Corrigan  gave  the  absolution. 
Crowds  passed  in  and  out  of  the  Cathedral  to  say  a 
prayer  for  the  soul  of  their  beloved  shepherd,  and 
throughout  the  night  many  kept  watch  over  the  re- 
mains. On  Tuesday  morning  the  Pontifical  Mass  of 
Requiem  was  celebrated  by  Archbishop  Corrigan. 
Cardinal  McCloskey  occupied  the  throne,  and  was  at- 
tended by  his  Vicars,  Monsignors  Quinn  and  Preston. 
A  few  relatives  of  the  deceased  Archbishop  were  pres- 
ent: Mr.  John  J.  Rodrigue,  a  son  of  Archbishop 
Hughes'  youngest  sister;  Mrs.  Eugene  Kelly,  a  niece, 
and  Mr.  Eugene  Kelly  and  the  members  of  his  family. 
The  panegyric  was  pronounced  by  Monsignor  Preston. 
The  five  absolutions  at  the  end  of  the  Mass  were  given 
by  Archbishop  Corrigan,  Bishop  McQuaid,  Bishop 
Loughlin,  Bishop  McNeirny,  and  Cardinal  McCloskey. 
The  coffin  was  then  reverently  lifted  from  the  bier  and, 
followed  by  the  clergy,  was  borne  to  the  crypt  beneath 
and  in  front  of  the  high  altar.  There,  in  the  first  of 
a  series  of  cubilia,  destined  for  the  Archbishops  of 
New  York,  John  Hughes,  its  first  Archbishop,  was  laid 
to  rest. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  ordination  of  His 
Eminence,  Cardinal  McCloskey,  occurred  Saturday, 
June  12,  1884.  On  that  day  a  Solemn  Pontifical  Mass 
was  celebrated  in  the  Cathedral  by  the  Right  Rev. 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      135 

John  Loughlin,  Bishop  of  Brooklyn.  Archbishop  Cor- 
rigan,  then  coadjutor  of  New  York,  Bishops  McQuaid, 
Conroy,  Ryan,  McNeirny,  Wadhams,  Wigger,  O'Far- 
rell,  and  Spalding  assisted  in  cope  and  miter.  The  cere- 
mony was  also  attended  by  the  Right  Rev.  Monsignori 
Quinn,  Preston,  Doane,  and  Seton,  and  by  an  immense 
gathering  of  the  clergy  and  laity.  The  Cardinal  Arch- 
bishop did  not  appear  in  the  sanctuary  until  after  the 
Post  Communion.  He  gave  the  Pontifical  Benediction 
at  the  close  of  the  Mass,  and  then  heard  the  addresses 
read  in  behalf  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Province  of  New 
York,  by  Bishop  Loughlin ;  of  the  Diocese,  by  Monsig- 
nor  Quinn,  the  Vicar  General ;  of  the  Christian  Broth- 
ers, by  Brother  Justin ;  of  the  laity  by  the  Hon.  John 
E.  Devlin.  A  statue  of  His  Eminence  was  unveiled. 
Mr.  John  O'Brien  made  the  presentation  address.  The 
venerable  Cardinal  made  a  most  touching  reply  to 
these  many  manifestations  of  affection  and  esteem  and 
some  of  his  words  are  worth  recording.  After  thank- 
ing the  prelates,  the  clergy  and  the  laity,  he  said :  "On 
this  occasion  I  can  not  but  contrast  the  scene  of  to-day 
with  that  which  occurred  fifty  years  ago  in  the  old 
St.  Patrick's  Cathedral.  There  was  only  one  Bishop 
and  two  priests  in  the  sanctuary  and  not  many  people 
in  the  church.  That  Bishop  was  Bishop  Dubois,  who 
consecrated  my  hands  with  the  sacerdotal  unction,  and 
the  two  priests,  one  his  Vicar  General,  Very  Rev.  Dr. 
Power  and  the  other  the  Rev.  Dr.  Pise;  and  to-day, 
the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  that  event,  I  behold  this 
sanctuary  filled  with  the  Bishops  of  my  Province  and 
the  faithful  clergy  of  my  Diocese,  and  this  great 
Cathedral,  whose  foundations  were  laid  by  my  illus- 
trious predecessor,  crowded  to  overflowing  with  my  de- 


136      COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

voted  people.  For  all  this  I  have  only  to  thank  God, 
who  has  spared  me  in  His  goodness  to  witness  the 
glory  of  this  day  and  the  wonderful  fruits  of  the 
mustard  seed." 

The  clergy  on  this  occasion  presented  to  His  Emi- 
nence the  beautiful  marble  pulpit  which  is  one  of  the 
finest  ornaments  of  the  Cathedral's  interior.  Pope  Leo 
XIII.  presented  Cardinal  McCloskey  with  a  chalice, 
and  sent  a  letter  of  congratulation. 

The  Cardinal  in  a  sermon  preached  in  Brooklyn, 
drew  a  delightful  picture  of  his  early  years,  when  his 
devout  mother  led  her  little  boy  by  the  hand  on  Sunday 
mornings  down  to  the  strand  of  the  East  River — 
Brooklyn  had  no  wharves  then — and  crossed  the  stream 
in  a  rowboat  or  in  the  primitive  horse- ferry  that  they 
both  might  attend  Mass  in  the  little  red  brick  church  in 
Barclay  Street.  In  1826,  during  the  Cardinal's  boy- 
hood, he  being  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  there  were 
but  three  churches  in  New  York  and  only  six  priests, 
and  about  twelve  in  the  entire  Diocese.  In  1834,  when 
the  Cardinal  was  ordained  priest,  there  were  fifteen 
churches  in  New  York,  and  about  twenty  priests  in  the 
Diocese,  embracing  the  entire  city  and  a  part  of  New 
Jersey. 

In  1854,  twenty  years  after  the  Cardinal's  ordina- 
tion as  priest,  there  were  forty-five  churches  and  eight 
chapels — one  hundred  and  two  priests,  four  asylums 
and  hospitals,  and  a  population  of  about  250,000. 

In  1884,  when  he  celebrated  his  golden  jubilee,  there 
were  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  churches,  forty-nine 
chapels,  three  hundred  and  eighty  priests,  and  twenty- 
nine  asylums  in  the  Diocese  of  New  York,  with  a  popu- 
lation of  600,000.     There  were  eight  Dioceses  where 


NORTH       TRANSEPT 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      137 

there  had  been  but  one,  with  over  twelve  hundred 
priests,  nine  hundred  and  fifty  churches  and  chapels, 
one  hundred  asylums  or  charitable  institutions,  and  a 
Catholic  population  of  over  1,400,000. 

His  Eminence  Cardinal  McCloskey  departed  this  life 
on  October  10,  1885.  From  all  parts  of  the  world 
came  telegrams  and  messages  of  condolence  to  the 
widowed  Church  of  New  York.  On  Tuesday  morn- 
ing, October  13th,  the  remains  of  the  Cardinal  were 
translated  to  the  Cathedral  and  placed  on  a  catafalque, 
so  inclined  that  they  were  visible  from  the  distant  door 
of  the  Cathedral.  He  was  clad  in  pontifical  robes, 
wearing  the  miter,  pallium,  and  violet  vestments.  The 
Cardinal's  hat  was  placed  at  his  feet.  The  members  of 
the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society  acted  as  a  guard  of 
honor  during  the  two  days  that  the  body  lay  in  state 
in  the  Cathedral.  Every  evening  at  four  o'clock  the 
Archbishop  and  clergy  sang  the  office  for  the  dead. 
The  solemn  funeral  services  were  held  on  Thursday, 
the  fifteenth.  At  nine  o'clock,  the  procession  of  the 
clergy  moved  from  the  orphan  asylum  and  proceeded 
to  the  Cathedral  to  chant  the  divine  office.  The  Pon- 
tifical Mass  of  Requiem  followed  immediately.  The 
celebrant  was  the  Archbishop-elect  of  New  York,  the 
Most  Reverend  M.  A.  Corrigan.  The  panegyric  was 
preached  by  the  Most  Reverend  James  Gibbons,  Arch- 
bishop of  Baltimore. 

"Your  venerated  Cardinal,"  he  said,  "has  left  you 
at  his  death  two  great  monuments  of  his  zeal,  and  two 
great  legacies  of  his  love — the  Catholic  Protectory  and 
this  noble  Cathedral,  the  grandest  in  the  United  States 
— which  will  stand  as  lasting  monuments  of  his  zeal 
for  religion  and  humanity.     He  has  left  you  two  pre- 


138     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

cious  legacies  of  his  love — first,  the  legacy  of  his  pure 
and  unsullied  life  as  priest,  Bishop,  Archbishop,  and 
Cardinal;  he  leaves  you  another  precious  legacy,  in 
the  person  of  his  gifted  successor." 

After  the  eulogy,  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  as- 
sembled around  the  bier  for  the  final  absolutions,  which 
were  given  by  Archbishop  Gibbons,  Archbishop  Wil- 
liams, Archbishop  Ryan,  Bishop  Loughlin,  of  Brook- 
lyn, and  Archbishop  Corrigan.  The  coffin  was  raised 
on  the  shoulders  of  the  ministers  and  borne  through  the 
sanctuary  behind  the  great  altar,  and  then  into  the 
vault  beneath.  There  he  lies,  beside  his  great  pre- 
decessor, Archbishop  Hughes.  The  following  record 
of  the  Cardinal's  life  was  enclosed  in  a  case  and  de- 
posited in  his  coffin : 

I.  H.  S. 

His  Eminence, 

The  Most  Reverend  John  McCloskey, 

Cardinal  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church, 

and  Archbishop  of  New  York. 

Born  in  Brooklyn,  L.  I.,  N.  Y.,  March  10,  1810. 

Ordained  Priest,  January  12,   1834. 

Appointed  Pastor  of  St.  Joseph's,  New  York, 

November  1,  1837. 

Named  first  President  of  St.  John's  College, 

Fordham,  New  York,  1842,  still  retaining 

charge  of  St.  Joseph's. 

Consecrated   Bishop   of   Axiere   in   Partibus, 

and  Coadjutor  to  Bishop  Hughes  of  New  York, 

cum  jure  successionis, 

March  18,  1844. 

Translated  to  the  new   Diocese  of  Albany, 

May  21,  1847. 

Promoted  to  the  Archiepiscopal  See  of  New  York, 

May  6,  1864. 

Created  Cardinal  Priest  of  the  Holy  Roman 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      139 

Church,  under  the  title  of  Sancta  Maria 

supra  Minervam,   March   15,   1875. 

Died  October  10,  1885. 

R.  I.  P. 

The  inscription  on  the  tomb  is  as  follows : 

Johannes 

Tit.  S.  Marise  supra  Minervam 

S.  R.  E.  Presb.  Cardinalis  McCloskey 

Archiepiscopus  Secundus 

Neo-Eboracensis, 

vixit  an  LXXV.  Obit.  Oct.  MDCCCLXXXV 

(Coat-of-Arms). 

In  Spent  Vitce  Alter  nee. 

The  Most  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan  was  solemnly  in- 
stalled as  the  third  Archbishop  of  New  York  on  Thurs- 
day, March  4,  1886.  The  pallium  was  brought  from 
Rome  by  Archbishop  Elder  of  Cincinnati.  His  Grace 
was  received  at  the  western  portal  of  the  Cathedral, 
by  the  Right  Rev.  Vicar  General  Quinn,  the  rector. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  McSweeney,  rector  of  St.  Brigid's,  read 
an  address  before  the  throne  in  the  name  of  the  clergy 
of  the  Archdiocese.  The  Archbishop  in  reply  ex- 
pressed his  great  pleasure  at  receiving  such  assurances 
of  affection  and  cooperation,  and  commended  his  work 
to  all  the  clergy,  of  whose  zeal  and  loyalty  he  had  had 
so  many  evidences.  The  Pontifical  Mass  was  sung  by 
Archbishop  Elder  of  Cincinnati.  The  sermon  was  de- 
livered by  the  Most  Rev.  P.  J.  Ryan,  Archbishop  of 
Philadelphia. 

"The  first  thought  that  strikes  one,"  he  said,  "on 
beholding  the  magnificent  scene  of  this  morning,  is  the 
strangely  impressive  contrast  it  affords  to  another 
scene  witnessed  by  most  of  us  in  this  Cathedral  a  few 
short  months  ago.     A  great  priest  who  in  his   day 


140     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

pleased  God  and  was  found  just,  had  fallen  by  the 
hand  of  death.  His  priests  and  people  met  in  sorrow 
around  his  bier.  This  great  Cathedral  which  he  built, 
adorned,  and  dedicated,  clothed  in  mourning,  seemed 
to  grieve  for  him,  and  that  grief  seemed  voiced  in  the 
plaintive  tones  of  the  Mass  of  Requiem.  We  saw  him 
still  clothed  in  full  pontificals,  with  the  pallium,  the 
symbol  of  the  plenitude  of  power,  around  his  neck; 
descending  into  'the  house  of  his  eternity,'  into  the 
Cathedral  of  death  beneath  this  sanctuary,  where  from 
his  darksome  throne  death  rules  the  former  rulers  of 
the  Cathedrals  of  the  living.  There  he  sleeps,  with  his 
predecessor  in  this  great  See.  .  .  .  How  is  it  pos- 
sible not  to  revert  to  him  who  has  gone  when  every- 
thing around  speaks  of  him,  when  Bishops  and  priests 
whom  he  ruled  so  long,  so  wisely,  and  so  gently,  are 
congregated  here,  when  the  very  marble  pulpit  in  which 
I  stand,  and  from  which  the  Word  of  God  is  to-day 
for  the  first  time  announced,  was  his  last  gift  to  this 
Cathedral,  and  is  itself  now  an  appropriate  monument 
to  the  grace  and  solidity  of  his  own  eloquence?  .  .  . 
Here  between  Life  and  Death — Life  Essential  within 
the  tabernacle  and  Death  beneath  the  sanctuary — here 
kneeling  on  the  very  grave  of  his  predecessor,  the  suc- 
cessor of  the  dead  Archbishop  receives  the  symbol  of 
power  which  never  dies,  communicated  by  the  Church 
of  the  living  God,  which  shares  His  immortality." 

The  pallium  was  then  conferred  by  Archbishop  Gib- 
bons of  Baltimore,  who  had  been  specially  delegated 
by  the  Holy  See  for  that  purpose. 

The  spires  of  the  Cathedral  were  completed  in  the 
early  part  of  October,  1888.  When  the  Cathedral  was 
dedicated,  the  spires  were  on  the  level  with  the  roof  of 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      141 

the  building.  They  were  left  in  that  condition  until 
the  fall  of  1885,  when  the  work  was  resumed.  The 
work  was  given  under  contract  to  George  Mann  &  Co., 
of  Baltimore,  and  was  executed  without  a  single  ac- 
cident to  any  person  employed  on  the  spires.  On  Sun- 
day, October  14,  1888,  Archbishop  Corrigan  preached 
at  the  High  Mass  and  estimated  the  cost  of  the  spires 
at  $200,000,  of  which  $120,000  had  been  contributed 
by  the  faithful.  The  cost  of  the  Cathedral  was  con- 
siderably more  than  the  original  estimate,  because  the 
work  originally  begun  under  contract  was  interrupted 
by  the  war.  Afterward  it  was  resumed  by  day's  work, 
and  this  system  was  followed  until  its  dedication. 
Later  in  1885,  the  spires  were  built  under  contract.  The 
cost  of  the  building  of  the  Cathedral  before  the  erec- 
tion of  the  spires  has  been  estimated  at  one  million, 
nine  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Renwick  put  the 
total  cost  between  two  million  and  two  million,  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  added  that  the  latter 
figure  was  probably  the  more  correct.  Up  to  the  pres- 
ent, the  Cathedral  has  cost  about  four  million  dollars. 
On  May  4,  1887,  more  than  two  hundred  priests 
assembled  in  the  Cathedral  on  the  fourteenth  anniver- 
sary of  the  consecration  of  Archbishop  Corrigan,  and 
presented  an  address  of  loyalty  and  esteem.  Arch- 
bishop Corrigan  celebrated  his  silver  jubilee  as  a  priest 
on  September  27,  1888.  It  was  a  memorable  celebra- 
tion, and  the  illustrious  prelate  received  addresses  of 
congratulation  from  the  clergy,  the  laity,  the  Christian 
Brothers,  the  alumni  and  students  of  the  American 
College,  Rome,  St.  John's  College,  St.  Francis  Xavier's, 
the  Superior  Council  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  and  from 
the  Catholics  of  the  distant  Bahamas.     The  Pontifical 


•142      COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Mass  was  celebrated  by  the  Archbishop.  Vicar  Gen- 
eral Donnelly  read  the  address  of  the  clergy  from  the 
pulpit,  and  Mr.  William  Hildreth  Field  read  the  con- 
gratulations of  the  laity  from  the  sanctuary.  Among 
the  gifts  presented  to  the  Archbishop  was  a  donation 
of  $10,000  from  Mr.  Eugene  Kelly,  to  be  devoted  to 
the  new  seminary. 

On  April  25,  1892,  the  Right  Rev.  Charles  E.  Mc- 
Donnell was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Brooklyn  by  Arch- 
bishop Corrigan.  The  assistant  Consecrators  were 
Bishop  McQuaid  of  Rochester,  and  Bishop  Chatard 
of  Vincennes. 

Perhaps  the  most  impressive  celebration  connected 
with  the  Columbian  Centennial  in  October,  1892,  was 
the  Pontifical  Mass  of  Thanksgiving  in  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral.  The  sanctuary  of  the  Cathedral  was  a 
mass  of  floral  decorations.  Palms  from  the  Bahamas 
were  of  particular  interest,  because  they  came  from 
the  very  spot  where  the  great  discoverer  is  said  to  have 
landed  first.  American  flags  were  gracefully  draped 
on  the  coat-of-arms  of  Columbus  and  on  that  of  the 
United  States,  and  also  on  the  pulpit,  reading  desk, 
and  sounding  board,  while  outside  the  sacred  edifice 
three  large  flags  were  stretched  from  tower  to  tower. 
Archbishop  Corrigan  was  the  celebrant.  At  the  close 
of  the  Mass,  a  solemn  Te  Deum  was  chanted,  after 
which  the  organ  and  orchestra  played  the  national 
anthem,  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner." 

On  Sunday,  April  23,  1893,  the  Duke  de  Veragua, 
who  was  the  head  of  the  eleventh  generation  in  lineal 
descent  of  Christopher  Columbus,  assisted  at  Mass  in 
the  Cathedral.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  the 
Duchess  Elizabeth  de  Aguilera ;  his  daughter,  Marquesa 


RONZE      DOOR         Or      TRANS  EPT. 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      143 

Maria  del  Pilar,  a  young  lady  of  eighteen  years;  his 
son,  Christopher  Columbus  de  Aguilera,  fourteen  years 
of  age;  his  brother,  the  Marquis  de  Barboles,  and  his 
suite.  They  had  arrived  only  the  day  before  and  made 
their  first  visit  to  the  Cathedral.  Special  places  were 
arranged  for  them  between  the  sanctuary  and  the 
pews. 

On  Sunday,  May  28,  1893,  Princess  Eulalie,  the 
Infanta  of  Spain,  assisted  at  High  Mass  in  state  at  the 
Cathedral.  At  ten  minutes  to  eleven  o'clock,  accom- 
panied by  her  husband  and  her  suite,  and  by  the  Hon. 
Joseph  J.  O'Donohue,  City  Chamberlain,  as  representa- 
tive of  the  Municipal  Committee  of  Reception,  the 
Princess  left  the  Savoy  Hotel,  and  was  escorted  to  the 
Cathedral  by  the  Old  Guard.  As  Princess  Eulalie 
alighted  in  front  of  the  Cathedral,  the  Old  Guard  was 
drawn  up  in  three  columns  and  presented  arms.  She 
entered  the  church  on  the  arm  of  Mr.  O'Donohue.  At 
the  foot  of  the  center  aisle  she  was  met  by  the  Very 
Rev.  Joseph  F.  Mooney,  Vicar  General,  representing 
the  Archbishop,  and  Father  Lavelle,  the  rector  of  the 
Cathedral.  The  Vicar  General  presented  to  her  the 
crucifix  and  the  holy  water.  She  then  proceeded  with 
her  suite  to  the  places  set  apart  for  them  in  front  of  the 
sanctuary  rail.  The  officers  of  the  Old  Guard  fol- 
lowed her  into  the  church,  and  remained  during  the 
Solemn  Mass. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  August,  1893,  the  Most  Reverend 
Francis  Satolli,  Apostolic  Delegate  to  the  United 
States,  celebrated  Pontifical  Mass  in  the  Cathedral. 
His  Grace  Archbishop  Corrigan  made  an  address  in 
which  he  set  forth  the  relations  of  the  Bishops  to  the 
Holy  See.     "Thank  God,"  he  said,  "loyalty  and  fealty 


144     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

to  the  Holy  See  have  ever  been  shining  and  character- 
istic traits  of  this  country  at  large,  as  well  as  this  Dio- 
cese in  particular.  Each  of  the  Plenary  Councils  in 
turn,  in  its  collective  address  to  the  Sovereign  Pontiff, 
each  in  its  decrees  has  given  luminous  proof  of  deep 
and  unswerving  attachment  to  the  See  of  Peter.  No 
less  conspicuous  evidence  of  the  same  devotedness  has 
been  displayed  by  the  prelates,  Bishops  and  Arch- 
bishops, who  have  ruled  this  Diocese.  Of  the  addresses, 
sermons,  and  pastoral  letters  of  the  late  Archbishop 
Hughes  in  defence  of  Pius  IX.  and  of  his  inalienable 
rights,  it  is  unnecessary  to  speak.  ...  I  may  men- 
tion particularly  the  pastoral  letter  of  the  second  Pro- 
vincial Council  of  New  York,  held  in  1860 — a  letter 
written  by  the  Archbishop  himself,  and  which  gave  so 
much  pleasure  to  the  Holy  Father  that  he  ordered  it 
translated  into  Italian  and  published  officially  in  the 
Eternal  City.  For  the  rest,  I  rejoice  most  sincerely 
with  you  all  to-day,  dear  brethren,  that  we  are  honored 
with  the  presence  of  him  who  represents  the  Vicar  of 
Christ  Himself,  and  in  your  name  as  in  my  own,  I  wel- 
come him  most  cordially  to  this  Diocese." 

On  December  21,  1895,  the  Cathedral  witnessed  the 
consecration  of  the  Right  Rev.  John  M.  Farley  as 
Titular  Bishop  of  Zeugma  and  Auxiliary  Bishop  of 
New  York.  The  Consecrator  was  Archbishop  Corri- 
gan.  Bishop  McDonnell  of  Brooklyn,  and  Bishop 
Gabriels  of  Ogdensburg  were  the  assistant  Consecra- 
tors.     Bishop  McQuaid  delivered  the  sermon. 

On  May  4,  1898,  Archbishop  Corrigan  celebrated  in 
the  Cathedral  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  his  con- 
secration. This  jubilee  celebration  will  be  forever 
memorable,  because  of  the  splendid  testimonial  pre- 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      145 

sented  to  the  Archbishop  by  the  clergy  and  people  of 
the  Diocese.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  they  paid 
off  the  mortgage  on  St.  Joseph's  Seminary  at  Dun- 
woodie,  amounting  to  $250,000.  Of  this  sum  $176,000 
came  from  the  wealthy  Catholics  of  New  York,  and 
the  rest  from  the  churches,  the  clergy,  and  people.  The 
Pontifical  Mass  was  celebrated  by  Archbishop  Corri- 
gan.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  Archbishop  Ryan. 
Among  those  present  were  Bishops  McDonnell,  Burke, 
Ludden,  Quigley,  Gabriels,  McQuaid,  Wigger,  McFaul, 
McCloskey,  Horstmann,  Chatard,  Montes  de  Oca,  and 
Archbishops  Ryan,  Williams,  Chapelle,  and  Archbishop 
Martinelli,  the  Apostolic  Delegate.  At  the  close  of  the 
Mass,  an  address  was  read  on  behalf  of  the  clergy  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Edwards.  Among  other  things,  Arch- 
bishop Ryan  said:  "During  his  episcopate  in  New 
York,  he  has  added  two  hundred  and  fifty  priests  to 
the  Diocese,  one  hundred  and  seventy  churches  and 
sixty  chapels,  but  the  most  substantial  monument  to  his 
sagacity  and  zeal  will  certainly  be  the  great  seminary  at 
Dunwoodie." 

Archbishop  Corrigan  passed  away  on  the  morning  of 
May  5,  1902.  His  remains  were  transferred  to  the 
Cathedral  on  Wednesday,  where  the  solemn  office  of 
the  dead  was  chanted  in  the  evening.  The  Pontifical 
Mass  of  Requiem  was  celebrated  at  ten  o'clock  on  Fri- 
day morning.  During  the  time  that  the  body  lay  in 
state  in  the  Cathedral,  a  continuous  throng  of  the  faith- 
ful passed  in  and  out  to  take  a  last  look  at  their  beloved 
chief  shepherd.  A  guard  of  honor  from  the  Sixty- 
ninth  Regiment  was  stationed  outside  the  church  on 
the  day  of  the  funeral,  and  saluted  the  procession  of 
prelates  and  clergy  as  they  entered.     Black  and  purple 


146      COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

were  draped  about  the  high  portals  of  the  Cathedral, 
and  also  in  the  interior  around  the  massive  columns. 
The  celebrant  of  the  Mass  was  His  Eminence,  Cardinal 
Gibbons,  Archbishop  of  Baltimore.  Besides  the  Arch- 
bishops, Bishops,  mitered  abbots  and  monsignori,  there 
were  nearly  one  thousand  priests  present,  and  from  six 
to  seven  thousand  people.  The  Mayor,  representatives 
of  the  different  Departments  of  the  City  Government, 
Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  as  well  as  State  and 
Federal  officials,  occupied  prominent  places  in  the 
Cathedral.  Mr.  Roosevelt  sent  a  wreath  of  flowers 
from  the  White  House,  with  a  simple  card  attached, 
"The  President." 

The  panegyric  was  preached  by  the  Most  Rev.  P.  J. 
Ryan,  Archbishop  of  Philadelphia,  who  had  occupied 
the  pulpit  when  his  deceased  friend  was  formally  in- 
stalled as  the  third  Archbishop  of  New  York.  After 
directing  attention  to  the  sad  event  that  had  brought 
prelates  and  clergy,  the  representatives  of  the  city 
government,  and  vast  numbers  of  the  faithful  together, 
the  preacher  proceeded  as  follows :  "We  often  hear 
men  of  the  world  say  nowadays  that  the  day  of  merely 
ascetic  Bishops  and  priests  has  passed  away ;  asceticism 
was  all  well  enough  in  the  Middle  Ages;  we  want  the 
sterling  public  man.  But  the  truth  is,  brethren,  we 
want  the  combination  of  both,  the  combination  of  the 
ascetic  with  the  public  man,  but  the  larger  element  of 
asceticism  in  that  combination.  Such  was  the  departed 
Archbishop  of  New  York.  The  three  Archbishops  of 
this  See  represented  three  features  of  human  character. 
The  Most  Reverend  John  Hughes  represented  courage, 
fearless  courage  at  a  time,  too,  when  it  was  needed. 
Cardinal  McCloskey  represented  marvelous  prudence, 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      147 

that  won  without  fighting.  The  late  Archbishop  might 
be  regarded  as  belonging  to  the  class  of  Cardinal  Mc- 
Closkey,  yet  when  a  principle  was  at  stake  the  lamb 
became  a  lion,  and  he  was  found  fearless  as  was  ever 
Archbishop  Hughes.  .  .  • .  The  Archbishop  was 
himself  as  a  rock  gently  yielding,  mossy  on  the  sur- 
face, but  beneath  all  that  gentleness,  strength  and 
power  and  immovability  of  principle  were  found.  The 
late  Cardinal  McCloskey  told  me  that  Archbishop  Cor- 
rigan  did  all  that  he  could  that  his  name  should  not  be 
sent  to  Rome  as  coadjutor,  with  right  of  succession  to 
this  See.  He  was  afraid  of  its  responsibilities.  .  .  . 
A  newspaper  of  this  city  of  high  literary  standing  has 
said  of  the  late  Archbishop  that  as  the  perfume  of  the 
virtues  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisium  still  remains 
amongst  men,  after  so  many  centuries,  so  also  shall 
the  perfume  of  the  virtues  of  Archbishop  Corrigan 
survive  among  his  people." 

The  usual  five  absolutions  were  given  in  turn  by 
Bishops  McQuaid  of  Rochester,  Ludden  of  Syracuse, 
Gabriels  of  Ogdensburg,  Burke  of  Albany,  and  by  His 
Eminence,  the  Cardinal.  Before  the  interment,  a  death 
mask  of  the  prelate  was  taken  by  Mr.  Joseph  Sibbel, 
the  sculptor.  The  body  was  then  lifted  into  the  coffin 
just  as  it  had  been  exposed  to  view.  After  the  Arch- 
bishop's brothers  and  relatives  had  taken  a  last  fare- 
well, a  white  linen  cloth  was  placed  over  the  mouth, 
and  a  sealed  glass  bottle  containing  a  sheet  of  parch- 
ment on  which  was  written  the  name  and  a  short  his- 
tory of  the  Archbishop  was  enclosed.  The  coffin  was 
then  sealed  and  deposited  in  the  vaults  underneath  the 
sanctuary,  where  the  illustrious  prelate  lies  with  his 
two  distinguished  predecessors. 


148     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

The  inscription  on  the  tomb  reads : 

Michael  Augustine  Corrigan 

Assistant  at  the  Pontifical  Throne 

Third  Archbishop  of  New  York. 

The  Staunch  Defender  of  Christian  Education 

Died  May  5,  1902. 

May  his  Place  be  in  Peace. 

During  the  seventeen  years  of  Archbishop  Corri- 
gan's  rule,  the  churches,  chapels,  and  stations  of  the 
Archdiocese  were  increased  by  one  hundred  and 
eighty-eight. 

Two  hundred  and  eighty- four  priests  were  added  to 
the  number  of  the  clergy,  seventy-five  new  schools 
were  opened,  existing  charities  were  fostered,  and  new 
ones,  more  than  thirty  in  number,  were  supplied,  viz., 
hospitals,  schools  for  the  blind,  for  deaf-mutes,  indus- 
trial and  reform  schools,  homes  for  immigrants.  From 
his  coming  in  1880  to  the  close  of  the  year  1895,  he  had 
confirmed  194,678  persons. 

The  fourth  Diocesan  Synod  was  held  on  the  eighth 
and  ninth  of  November,  1882.  Cardinal  McCloskey 
presided.  The  fifth  Diocesan  Synod  was  held  on  No- 
vember 17  and  18,  1886.*  Archbishop  Corrigan 
presided.  This  Synod  was  the  most  important  ever 
held  in  this  Diocese.  The  decrees  passed  are  distrib- 
uted under  twenty  titles,  with  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  numbers,  and  bear  splendid  testimony  to  the  ad- 
ministrative ability  of  Archbishop  Corrigan.  This  Synod 
summed  up  all  the  legislation  of  the  preceding  Synods 
and  provided  for  the  future  needs  of  the  Diocese  with 
such  accuracy  and  completeness  that  the  succeeding 
Synods  have  done  little  but  promulgate  again  the  de- 

*  Smith,  History  of  Catholic  Church  in  New  York,  Vol.  II.,  p.  461. 


"f   *     COLO=)    CO   , 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      149 

crees  of  the  fifth  Synod.  The  subjects  treated  in  these  de- 
crees comprise  the  meaning  and  importance  of  Catholic 
faith,  the  preaching  of  the  word  of  God,  Catholic  edu- 
cation, parochial  ministry,  discipline  of  the  clergy,  the 
duties  and  relations  of  rectors  and  assistants,  the  dioc- 
esan officials,  the  regular  clergy,  the  Sacraments  in 
general  and  in  particular,  public  worship,  the  adminis- 
tration of  churches  and  other  ecclesiastical  properties. 

"Archbishop  Corrigan  deserves  the  highest  praise  for 
the  fine  collection  of  useful  and  well  written  statutes 
which  have  ruledthe  Diocese  so  long  and  so  well.  They 
are  truly  a  monument  of  his  devotion  and  his 
learning."* 

The  sixth  Synod  was  held  on  November  21,  1889. 

The  seventh  Synod  was  held  on  November  23,  1892. 

The  eighth  Synod  was  held  on  November  20,  1895. 

The  ninth  Synod  was  held  on  November  23,  1898. 

The  tenth  Synod  was  held  on  November  27,  1901. 

The  eleventh  Synod  was  held  on  November  15,  1904. 

The  twelfth  Synod  was  held  on  November  26,  1907. 

The  third  Provincial  Council  was  called  in  June, 
1861.  Seven  decrees  were  passed.  In  a  pastoral  let- 
ter issued  by  the  Bishops,  the  educational  authorities 
were  taken  to  task  for  their  proselytizing  efforts  in  the 
public  schools. 

The  fourth  Provincial  Council  was  held  in  the  last 
week  of  September,  1883.  The  Council  came  toward 
the  close  of  the  career  of  Cardinal  McCloskey,  and  is 
a  fitting  testimonial  to  his  wise  and  efficient  administra- 
tion. The  letter  issued  by  the  Bishops  of  the  Council 
is  a  document  of  great  dignity,  and  while  acknowledg- 
ing with  gratitude  the  liberty  granted  to  the  Church 

*  Smith,  History  of  Catholic  Church  in  New  York,  Vol.  II.,  p.  468. 


150     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

in  this  country,  it  boldly  attacked  the  errors  that  were 
being  propagated,  and  provided  means  of  protecting 
the  faithful  from  the  dangers  to  faith  and  morals. 

The  Right  Rev.  John  M.  Farley,  Auxiliary-Bishop 
of  New  York,  was  named  Archbishop  on  September 
15,  1902.  The  pallium  was  brought  from  Rome  by  the 
Very  Rev.  Monsignor  John  P.  Farrelly,  D.D.,  Spiritual 
Director  of  the  American  College,  Rome,  and  was  sol- 
emnly conferred  on  August  12,  1903,  by  His  Excel- 
lency, the  Most  Rev.  Diomede  Falconio,  Apostolic 
Delegate  to  the  United  States.  Addresses  of  congratu- 
lation were  read  in  the  name  of  the  clergy  by  the  Right 
Rev.  Monsignor  James  H.  McGean,  and  for  the  laity 
by  the  Hon.  Morgan  J.  O'Brien,  late  Presiding  Justice 
of  the  Appellate  Division  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

On  July  25,  1902,  the  Right  Rev.  Charles  H.  Colton 
was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Buffalo  by  Archbishop 
Farley.  Bishops  McDonnell  and  McQuaid  were  the 
assistant  Consecrators. 

The  Right  Rev.  Thomas  F.  Cusack,  director  of  the 
Diocesan  missionaries,  was  consecrated  Titular  Bishop 
of  Themiscyra  and  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  New  York  on 
April  25,  1904.  Archbishop  Farley  was  the  Consecra- 
tor,  assisted  by  Bishops  Colton  and  McFaul. 

The  Cathedral  parish,  in  1879,  extended  from  the 
East  River  to  Seventh  Avenue,  and  from  Forty-sixth 
Street  to  Fifty-ninth  Street,  with  a  strip  reaching  to 
Forty-second  Street,  between  Madison  and  Sixth  Ave- 
nues. Cardinal  McCloskey  with  his  secretary,  the  Rev. 
John  M.  Farley,  and  the  Rev.  James  McMahon,  lived 
at  32  West  56th  Street.  The  Right  Rev.  William 
Quinn,  the  Vicar-General,  resided  at  26  East  50th 
Street,  with  his  assistants. 


COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      151 

About  one-half  of  the  lots  on  Fifth  Avenue,  between 
the  Cathedral  and  Central  Park,  had  residences,  and 
there  were  scarcely  more  than  one  hundred  houses  on 
Madison  Avenue  north  to  the  Harlem  River. 

In  May,  1880,  the  parish  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist 
was  established  in  the  district  east  of  Third  Avenue. 

During  Lent,  1880,  the  first  mission  was  given  by  the 
Redemptorists  under  the  Rev.  F.  W.  Wayrich. 

The  Archbishop's  residence  was  built  in  1882.  The 
Cathedral  rectory  was  occupied  for  the  first  time  on 
Thursday,  May  8,  1884.  Both  were  designed  by  Mr. 
Renwick. 

St.  Patrick's  parochial  school,  Fiftieth  Street  near 
Fourth  Avenue,  was  opened  on  the  first  Monday  of 
September,  1882.  The  school  is  a  brick  building 
80x105  feet  and  cost  $90,000.  The  first  principals 
were  Brother  Isaac  John  for  the  Boys'  Department, 
and  Sister  Mary  Martha  for  the  Girls'. 

On  June  2,  1886,  the  rector  of  the  Cathedral,  Right 
Rev.  Mgr.  Quinn,  V.G.,  sailed  for  Europe  to  recuper- 
ate his  broken  health.  The  Rev.  M.  J.  Lavelle  was  ap- 
pointed Administrator,  and  succeeded  to  the  rectorship 
on  the  death  of  Mgr.  Quinn  in  April,  1887.  About  the 
same  time,  the  League  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  the  Cathe- 
dral Library,  the  Cathedral  Club,  and  the  Holy  Name 
Society  were  established.  The  clubhouse  was  blessed 
January  15,  1893,  by  Archbishop  Corrigan.  Father 
Lavelle  was  appointed  a  Vicar-General  in  October, 
1902,  and  the  following  year  was  promoted  to  the 
dignity  of  Domestic  Prelate. 

Mgr.  Lavelle  celebrated  the  silver  jubilee  of  his 
priesthood  in  1904.  He  has  the  unique  distinction  of 
beginning  his  ministry  in  the  Cathedral  parish  of  which 


152     COMPLETION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

he  has  been  the  efficient  rector  since  1887.  At  the  close 
of  the  solemn  Mass  sung  by  the  Jubilarian,  an  address 
of  congratulation  from  the  laity  was  read  by  the  Hon. 
John  D.  Crimmins.  Monsignor  Lavelle  was  one  of  the 
founders  and  the  first  President  of  the  Catholic  Sum- 
mer School. 

William  F.  Pecher  was  the  musical  director  of  the 
Cathedral  until  his  death  in  1904.  The  chancel  choir 
until  1888  was  in  charge  of  the  Rev.  Anthony  Lammel, 
who  became  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's,  in  Eighty-sixth 
Street.  The  Rev.  John  A.  Kellner  directed  this  choir 
until  his  appointment  as  pastor  of  St.  Gabriel's,  New 
Rochelle,  in  1892.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  James  C. 
Ungerer,  who  became  musical  director  of  the  Cathedral 
on  the  death  of  Mr.  Pecher.  Mr.  Joseph  O'Connor  is 
in  charge  of  the  chancel  choir,  whose  members  are 
carefully  selected  from  the  boys  of  the  parochial  school 
and  from  the  students  of  Cathedral  College,  the  pre- 
paratory seminary,  situated  on  Madison  Avenue  from 
Fifty-first  to  Fifty-second  Streets.  The  grand  choir 
of  thirty  male  voices  is  directed  by  Mr.  Ungerer.  The 
music  conforms  strictly  to  the  instructions  of  Pope 
Pius  X. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Description  of  the  New  Cathedral. 

Exterior. — Interior. — The  Lady  Chapel. — The 
Altars. — The  Throne. — The  Pulpit. — The  Sta- 
tions of  the  Cross. — The  Ostensorium. 

St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  is  an  example  of  the  dec- 
orated and  geometric  style  of  Gothic  architecture 
which  prevailed  in  Europe  from  1275  to  1400,  and  of 
which  the  Cathedrals  of  Rheims,  Amiens,  and  Cologne, 
on  the  continent  of  Europe,  and  the  naves  of  York 
Minster,  Exeter,  and  Westminster,  are  among  the  most 
advanced  examples.  Though  the  Cathedral  of  New 
York  is  in  this  style,  its  design  is  as  original  and  distinct 
as  that  of  any  of  the  above  cathedrals ;  for  they,  though 
in  the  same  style  of  architecture,  nevertheless  have  each 
the  individual  stamp  of  the  genius  and  thought  of  their 
originators. 

The  original  plans  were  drawn  by  the  architect,  Mr. 
James  Renwick,  in  1853,  and  adopted  by  Archbishop 
Hughes,  who  contemplated  a  larger  building  than  the 
one  now  erected.  In  1857  the  Archbishop  directed  the 
architect  to  reduce  its  dimensions :  to  take  off  the  side 
aisle  round  the  apse,  and  the  apsidal  chapel  and  sacris- 
ties, as  the  ground  covered  by  them  would  be  required 
for  the  residences  of  the  Archbishop  and  clergy.  These 
alterations  being  decided  upon,  the  building  was  begun 
and  carried  on  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Renwick 
and  his  associate,  Mr.  Rodrigue,  until  the  illness  which 


154     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

terminated  fatally  rendered  it  impossible  for  the  latter 
to  give  personal  attention  to  business  of  any  kind. 

Europe  can  boast  larger  cathedrals,  but,  for  purity 
of  style,  originality  of  design,  harmony  of  proportions, 
beauty  of  material,  and  finish  of  workmanship,  New 
York  Cathedral  stands  unsurpassed.  It  is  an  orna- 
ment to  the  city,  an  edifice  of  which  every  citizen  of 
our  great  metropolis  may  well  feel  proud ;  a  proof  that 
American  architects  and  American  artisans  can  hold 
their  own  with  the  architects  and  artisans  of  the  Old 
World;  and  a  proof,  also,  that  the  Catholics  of  New 
York,  in  the  nineteenth  century,  were  animated  by  the 
same  spirit  that,  in  the  ages  of  faith,  reared  the  sacred 
structures  that  have  excited  the  admiration  and 
wonder  of  cultivated  and  uncultivated  minds  for  cen- 
turies. 

The  ground  plan  of  the  building  is  that  of  a  Latin 
cross,  with  nave,  choir  or  sanctuary,  and  transepts,  each 
being  divided  into  a  center  aisle  with  a  clerestory  and 
two  side  aisles,  by  thirty-two  magnificent  and  perhaps 
unequalled,  clustered  columns  of  white  marble,  from 
which  spring  the  arches  which  support  the  walls  of  the 
clerestory. 

The  dimensions  of  the  building  (the  Lady  Chapel  ex- 
cluded) are  as  follows: 

Exterior. 

Extreme  length 332  feet. 

Extreme  breadth 174  " 

General        "       132  " 

Towers  at  base 32  " 

Height  of  towers 330  " 

Central  door 30  ft.  wide,  51  "    high. 

Width  of  front  between  towers 105 


LADY       CHAPEL 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     155 

Interior. 

Length 306  feet. 

Breadth  of  nave  and  choir : 

Excluding  chapels 96  " 

Including         "      120  " 

Length  of  transept 140  " 

Central  aisle 48  ft.  wide,       112  "    high. 

Side  aisles 24  ft.      "  54  "       " 

Chapels 18  ft.  wide,  14  ft.  high,  12  "  deep. 

The  block  upon  which  the  Cathedral  stands  is  rocky, 
in  many  places  the  rock  coming  nearly  up  to  the  sur- 
face, and  in  others,  especially  at  the  south  transept,  the 
rock  being  more  than  twenty  feet  below  the  surface 
level.  Before  commencing  the  foundation-walls,  the 
rock  was  in  all  cases  cut  into  steps  affording  a  level 
and  true  bed  for  the  cutting  course.  The  foundations 
are  of  very  large  blocks  of  blue  gneiss,  which  were  laid 
by  derricks  in  cement  mortar  up  to  the  level  of  the 
surface. 

Above  the  ground-line,  the  first  base  course  is  of 
Dix  Island  granite  from  Maine,  as  is  also  the  first 
course  under  all  the  columns  and  marble  works  of  the 
interior.  Above  this  base  course  the  whole  exterior 
of  the  building  is  of  white  marble  from  the  quarries  at 
Pleasantville,  Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  and  Lee,  in 
Massachusetts,  both  of  which  are  of  excellent  quality 
and  color.  The  whole  building  is  backed  in  with  brick 
and  stone  masonry,  with  hollows  in  the  walls  for  pre- 
vention of  dampness  and  for  ventilation,  and  is  con- 
structed in  the  most  careful  manner,  so  that  probably 
no  building  in  this  country  is  more  stable,  no  crack  hav- 
ing ever  occurred  in  any  part  of  the  whole  structure. 

The  principal  front,  on  Fifth  Avenue,  may  be  de- 


156     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

scribed  as  consisting  of  a  central  gable,  with  a  tower 
and  spire  on  each  side  of  it.  The  gable  is  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-six  feet  in  height,  and  the  towers  and 
spires  are  each  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  height. 

The  grand  portal  in  the  lower  division  of  the  cen- 
tral gable  has  its  jambs  richly  decorated  with  columns 
with  foliage  capitals,  and  has  clustered  moldings,  with 
rich  ornaments  in  the  arch,  which  is  also  decorated 
and  fringed  with  a  double  row  of  foliated  tracery,  the 
thickness  of  the  wall  being  twelve  feet  six  inches,  and 
the  whole  surface  or  depth  of  the  door  being  encrusted 
with  marble.  It  is  intended  at  some  future  period  to 
place  the  statues  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  in  the  coves 
of  the  jambs  of  this  portal  in  rich  tabernacles  of  white 
marble.  A  transom  of  beautiful  foliage,  with  emblem- 
atic designs,  crosses  the  opening  of  the  door  at  the 
spring  line  of  the  arch,  over  which  a  window,  with 
beautiful  tracery,  fills  in  the  tympanum  or  arch. 

The  gablet  over  the  main  portal  is  richly  panelled 
with  tracery,  having  a  shield  bearing  the  arms  of  the 
Diocese  in  the  central  panel.  The  label  over  the  gable 
is  crocketed  with  crockets  of  a  very  beautiful  and 
original  design  of  the  grape-vine  and  morning-glory, 
intertwined  and  alternating  in  the  crockets,  and  the 
whole  is  terminated  by  a  very  rich  and  beautiful  finial. 
The  door  is  flanked  on  either  side  by  buttresses  ter- 
minating in  panelled  pinnacles,  and  between  these  but- 
tresses and  the  tower  buttresses  are  niches  for  statues. 

The  horizontal  balustrade  over  the  first  story  is  of 
rich  pierced  tracery.  Over  this  and  across  the  whole 
gable,  except  where  interspersed  by  the  gable  over 
the  central  portal,  is  a  row  of  niches,  seven  feet  six 
inches  high,  for  statues.     These  niches  are  decorated 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     157 

by  columns  with  foliage  capitals  and  gablets,  with 
tracery  and  finials,  and  are  hereafter  to  be  filled  with 
statues  of  saints  and  martyrs.  Above  these  niches  a 
richly  molded  Gothic  jamb,  with  an  equilateral  arch, 
encloses  a  magnificent  rose  window,  twenty-six  feet  in 
diameter,  a  marvel  of  Gothic  tracery  of  beautiful  and 
original  design,  equalling  those  of  the  greatest  of  the 
cathedrals  of  Europe. 

Above  this  window  the  main  gable  is  carried  up  to 
the  roof  lines,  and  is  veiled  by  a  pierced  screen  of  rich 
tracery,  terminated  by  a  label-cornice  which  is 
crocketed.  The  crockets  are  designed  from  the  leaves 
and  flowers  of  the  passion-flower,  and  rise  up  the  gable, 
and  entwine  and  support  a  beautiful  foliated  cross. 
On  either  side  of  the  jambs  of  the  central  window 
are  buttresses,  terminated  by  pinnacles,  and  between 
these  and  the  buttresses  of  the  tower  are  rich  Gothic 
panels,  terminated  by  crocketed  gablets. 

The  towers  on  either  side  of  the  central  gable  are 
thirty-two  feet  square  at  the  base,  exclusive  of  the 
great  buttresses,  having  walls  of  immense  thickness  and 
solidity.  The  towers  maintain  the  square  form  for  the 
height  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet,  where  they 
change  into  octagonal  lanterns  which  are  fifty-four 
feet  high,  over  which  are  the  spires,  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet  in  height,  making  the  total  height  of  each 
tower  and  spire  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet.  The 
towers  are  divided  into  three  stories,  the  first  contain- 
ing portals  corresponding  in  architecture  to  the  central 
portal,  with  crocketed  gablets,  having  tracery  and 
shields  containing  the  arms  of  the  United  States  and 
the  State  of  New  York,  over  which  are  balustrades  of 
pierced  tracery.    In  the  second  story  are  windows  with 


158     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

richly-molded  jambs  and  beautiful  tracery,  correspond- 
ing to  the  great  central  rose,  and  terminated  by  gablets 
of  pierced  tracery.  The  third  story  has  four  small 
windows  on  each  side,  and  is  terminated  by  a  label- 
mold  cornice  and  pierced  battlement. 

The  towers  are  flanked  by  massive  buttresses  deco- 
rated with  very  light  and  beautiful  tabernacles  at  each 
offset,  and  are  terminated  by  clustered  pinnacles,  which 
join  the  buttresses  of  the  octagonal  lanterns  over  the 
towers. 

The  octagonal  lanterns  have  windows  with  fine 
tracery  on  each  side,  over  which  are  gablets  with 
traceries,  and  the  whole  terminated  by  cornices  and 
pierced  battlements.  The  eight  corner  buttresses  are 
terminated  by  pinnacles. 

The  spires  are  octagonal  in  two  stories.  The  first 
story  has  rich  molding  in  the  angles,  and  the  faces  are 
panelled  with  traceries.  The  single  columns  are  ter- 
minated by  capitals  supporting  gablets  with  finials. 
The  second  story  is  molded  and  panelled  like  the  first 
story,  and  terminates  in  a  magnificent  foliage  finial 
carrying  the  terminal  crosses.  Circular  stone  stair- 
ways are  carried  up  in  the  buttresses  of  the  towers, 
which  communicate  with  the  organ  galleries  and  upper 
stories  of  the  towers.  A  chime  of  bells  has  been  in- 
stalled in  the  third  story  of  the  tower  at  a  height  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  grade  of  the  avenue. 

The  side  aisles  of  the  nave  behind  the  towers,  and 
facing  the  two  streets,  are  divided  by  buttresses  with 
niches  and  pinnacles  into  five  bays.  Each  bay  is 
pierced  by  a  window  thirteen  feet  six  inches  wide  and 
twenty-seven  feet  in  height,  divided  into  three  bays  by 
mullions,  and  having  the  tympanum  or  arch  filled  with 


.  A  D  Y        CHAP  E.L. 
1   NTERI  OR. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     159 

traceries  of  rich  and  varied  design.  The  transept 
fronts  are  divided  into  a  central  aisle  forty-eight  feet 
wide  and  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  high,  to  the 
top  of  the  crosses  of  the  gables,  and  two  side  aisles. 
The  central  aisles  are  marked  on  the  first  story  by 
portals  corresponding  to  those  of  the  front,  and  flanked 
by  buttresses  with  pinnacles,  with  panelled  gables  over 
the  doors,  and  pierced  battlements.  Over  each  door 
the  great  transept  windows  fill  the  whole  space  up  to 
the  springing  of  the  gables.  These  two  great  windows 
are  twenty-eight  feet  in  width  by  fifty-eight  feet  in 
height,  and  are  divided  by  clustered  mullions  into  six 
bays,  and  the  tympana  or  arches  are  filled  with  traceries 
of  the  richest  design.  The  gablet  over  the  window 
is  richly  panelled.  A  row  of  niches  crosses  each  tran- 
sept at  the  eave-line,  and  above  this  the  gable  is  richly 
panelled  with  pinnacles  and  pierced  battlements,  and 
is  terminated  by  an  octagonal  pinnacle  and  foliated 
cross.  The  side  aisles  of  the  transept  are  marked  by 
windows  similar  to  those  of  the  side  aisles,  and  flanked 
by  octagonal  buttresses,  in  which  are  spiral  stairs  lead- 
ing to  the  triforium  and  roofs. 

The  side  aisle  of  the  sanctuary  has  three  bays  similar 
to  those  of  the  nave.  The  side  aisle  of  the  rear  has 
five  bays.  The  clerestory,  which  rises  thirty-eight  feet 
above  the  roof  of  the  side  aisles,  and  is  one  hundred 
and  four  feet  high  to  the  eaves  above  the  ground-line, 
is  divided  into  six  bays  in  the  nave,  two  bays  in  either 
transept,  and  three  bays  in  the  sanctuary.  The  apse 
has  five  bays,  its  ground-plan  being  half  a  decagon. 
The  bays  are  divided  by  buttresses,  terminated  by 
grand  pinnacles,  which  rise  thirty  feet  above  the  eaves. 
Each  bay  is  pierced  by  a  window  fourteen  feet  six 


160     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

inches  broad  and  twenty-six  feet  high,  divided  by  mil- 
lions into  four  bays,  and  having  rich  tracery  of  varied 
designs  in  the  tympana.  The  windows  are  surmounted 
by  panelled  gablets  with  traceries,  and  the  walls  be- 
tween the  gablets  and  pinnacles  are  finished  by  pierced 
battlements.  The  roofs  of  the  side  aisles  and  clere- 
stories are  slated,  and  the  clerestory  roof  is  terminated 
by  a  rich  metal  cresting  five  feet  six  inches  high,  hav- 
ing the  leaves  and  flowers  gilded,  with  a  central  finial 
at  the  intersection  of  the  nave  and  transepts  fifteen  feet 
in  height,  decorated  with  foliage  and  flowers,  and  ter- 
minated by  a  cross  at  the  east  end  of  the  roof  over  the 
apse.  The  cross  is  thirteen  feet  in  height,  and  gilt 
with  flowers  and  foliage  ornaments. 

The  windows  are  glazed  by  two  thicknesses  of  sash 
and  glass,  set  two  inches  apart,  in  order  to  produce  an 
even  temperature  and  prevent  drafts  of  air  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  building.  The  exterior  sashes  are  glazed 
with  figured  glass  in  lead  sash ;  and  the  interior  sashes 
with  stained  glass  of  the  richest  description  and  most 
beautiful  and  appropriate  designs.  The  windows  of  the 
clerestory  were  made  by  Morgan  Brothers,  New  York. 

There  are  twenty-one  niches  on  the  front,  fifteen  on 
the  north,  and  fifteen  on  the  south  side.  Of  these  only 
two  have  been  filled.  The  statue  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception  north  of  the  grand  portal  is  the  gift  of 
Mrs.  C.  Finney.  The  statue  of  St.  Joseph,  south  of 
the  portal,  was  presented  by  Mr.  Stoltzenberg.  Both 
statues  were  made  by  the  Stoltzenberg  Co. 

There  are  also  spaces  for  thirty-two  statuettes,  six- 
teen for  each  transept.  The  Lady  Chapel  has  six 
niches.     A  large  bronze  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     161 

will  be  placed  at  the  end  of  the  ridge  of  the  roof. 

The  interior  of  the  Cathedral,  like  its  exterior,  is 
cruciform,  divided  in  its  ground-plan  into  a  nave,  two 
transepts,  and  a  choir  or  sanctuary.  The  nave  of  the 
Cathedral,  or  the  entire  portion  between  the  transepts 
and  Fifth  Avenue,  is  one  hundred  and  sixty- four  feet 
long,  ninety-six  feet  wide  between  the  side-aisle  walls, 
one  hundred  and  twenty- four  feet  broad  from  out  to 
out,  including  the  side-aisle  chapels.  It  is  divided 
longitudinally  into  seven  bays  or  divisions,  denned  by 
the  columns,  each  bay  being  twenty-three  feet  in  length, 
except  the  first  one  between  the  front  towers,  which  is 
twenty-six  feet  long.  In  its  cross-section  the  nave  con- 
sists of  a  center  aisle  forty-eight  feet  wide  and  one 
hundred  and  ten  feet  in  height  from  the  floor  to  the 
apex  of  the  groined  ceiling.  The  two  side  aisles  are 
each  twenty- four  feet  in  width  and  fifty-four  feet  high. 
The  chapels,  which  are  under  the  window-sills  of  the 
side  aisles,  are  fourteen  feet  in  width  and  eighteen  feet 
high.  The  transepts,  or  arms  of  the  cross,  are  one 
hundred  and  forty-four  feet  long,  and  are  divided  into 
a  center  and  two  side  aisles  of  the  same  dimensions  as 
those  of  the  nave.  The  choir,  or  sanctuary,  is  ninety- 
five  feet  long,  and  has  a  center  aisle  of  the  same  dimen- 
sions as  that  of  the  nave,  and  four  side  aisles,  making 
a  total  width  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  feet 
from  wall  to  wall.  The  choir  has  three  bays  and  is 
terminated  at  the  east  end  by  a  five-sided  apse  in  the 
central  aisle. 

The  columns  dividing  the  central  aisle  from  the  side 
aisles  are  of  white  marble,  thirty-five  feet  in  height  and 
clustered,  having  four  main  columns  at  the  angles 
twelve  inches  in  diameter,  and  eight  columns  six  inches 


162     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

in  diameter  attached  to  the  central  shaft,  giving  a 
combined  diameter  of  five  feet,  and  are  ornamented 
with  beautiful  foliated  capitals.  The  arches  between 
the  columns,  and  supporting  the  triforium  and  clere- 
story, are  richly  molded,  and  rise  to  the  height  of  fifty- 
four  feet.  The  space  between  these  arches  and  the 
clerestory  windows  is  sixteen  feet  in  height.  This  is 
called  the  triforium,  and  is  covered  by  the  roof  of  the 
side  aisles.  The  walls  of  the  nave  are  pierced  in  the 
triforium  by  four  arches,  corresponding  to  the  bays  or 
divisions  of  the  clerestory  windows.  A  floor  is  laid 
over  the  side  aisle  arches,  affording  a  passage  in  the 
triforium  all  around  the  building,  at  an  elevation  of 
fifty-six  feet  above  the  floor  of  the  Cathedral.  The 
clerestory  windows  come  above,  and  are  a  continuation 
of  the  tracery  of  the  triforium.  They  are  each  four- 
teen feet  six  inches  in  width,  and  twenty-six  feet  high. 

The  ceiling  of  the  center  aisle  is  groined  with  richly 
molded  ribs  and  jack  ribs,  with  foliage  bosses  at  their 
intersections.  The  spring-line  of  the  ceiling  is  seventy- 
seven  feet  from  the  floor  of  the  Cathedral.  The  side- 
aisle  chapel  ceilings  are  also  richly  groined  with  ribs 
and  jack  ribs.  Holes,  one  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter, 
are  pierced  through  all  the  groined  ceilings  of  the  build- 
ing, through  which  ropes  can  be  let  down  to  suspend 
scaffolding  or  men  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  or 
cleaning  the  building. 

The  floors  of  the  nave  and  transepts  have  four  hun- 
dred and  eight  pews,  varying  in  length  from  eight  to 
eleven  feet,  and  having  a  seating  capacity  of  about 
twenty-five  hundred.  They  are  divided  by  aisles,  vary- 
ing in  width  from  seven  to  eight  feet.  The  sanctuary 
floor  is  raised  six  steps  above  the  floor  of  the  Cathe- 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     163 

dral,  and  the  high  altar  is  three  steps  higher,  or  nine 
steps  above  the  main  floor.  The  steps  are  of  gray 
marble  and  the  platform  in  front  of  the  altar  of  richly 
colored  marbles. 

The  massive  doors — heavily  panelled,  and  displaying 
consummate  workmanship — the  handsome  pews,  the 
front  of  the  organ  gallery,  and  all  the  woodwork  is  of 
white  ash. 

The  Lady  Chapel. 

The  gem  of  the  new  Cathedral  is  the  beautiful  Lady 
Chapel,  which  is  still  under  construction.  During  the 
Middle  Ages,  in  England,  as  well  as  in  France  and 
Italy  where  the  great  Gothic  cathedrals  are  to  be 
found,  it  has  been  the  custom  to  have  behind  the  high 
altar  in  the  middle  of  the  apse  a  chapel  dedicated  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  called  the  chapel  of  Our 
Lady.  As  a  rule  this  chapel  was  also  used  as  the 
chapel  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  hence,  because 
of  its  special  dedication  to  the  Mother  of  God,  and  its 
use  as  the  tabernacle  of  the  Eucharistic  Christ,  we  find 
that  all  the  skill  and  genius  of  architect,  of  sculptor,  of 
metal-worker,  of  stained  glass  artist,  are  lavished  upon 
this  portion  of  the  Cathedral.  According  to  the  original 
plans,  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  was  to  have  its  apsidal 
chapel,  but  at  the  request  of  Archbishop  Hughes, 
the  architect,  Mr.  Renwick,  was  compelled  to  modify 
the  plan  and  construct  the  rear  so  as  to  do  away  with 
the  apsidal  aisles  and  the  chapel.  Thus  the  Cathedral 
terminated  abruptly  behind  the  high  altar,  and  a  Lady 
Chapel  was  fitted  up  in  the  north  side  aisle.  In  1900, 
thanks  to  the  generosity  of  the  Kelly  family,  measures 
were  taken  to  complete  the  Cathedral  by  constructing  a 
Lady  Chapel  worthy  of  the  highest  traditions  of  Gothic 


164     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

art.  A  competition  was  opened,  and  fourteen  archi- 
tects from  America,  England,  and  France,  were  invited 
to  submit  plans  for  the  remodeling  of  the  eastern  end 
of  the  Cathedral  and  the  construction  of  the  Lady 
Chapel.  Among  the  conditions  laid  down  for  the  com- 
petitors the  following  phrase  is  of  interest :  "The  draw- 
ings shall  contain  no  handwriting  and  no  motto,  em- 
blem, or  other  mark  of  identification,  but  they  are  to 
be  accompanied  by  an  envelope  containing  the  name  of 
their  author."*  Professor  William  R.  Ware,  of  the 
School  of  Architecture  of  Columbia  University,  was 
chosen  as  the  architectural  expert  who  was  to  deter- 
mine the  best  design  from  an  architectural  view-point; 
Archbishop  Corrigan  was  to  decide  from  an  ecclesiasti- 
cal view-point,  and  the  donors  were  to  select  the  design 
that  appealed  most  to  their  own  personal  appreciation. 
The  authors  were,  of  course,  not  known  to  the  judges, 
who  rendered  their  decisions  separately,  so  that  one 
judge  was  not  cognizant  of  the  opinion  of  the  other 
until  the  final  meeting.  It  was  very  gratifying  to  all 
concerned  to  learn  that  the  three  judges  had  reached 
the  same  conclusion,  and  awarded  the  commission  to 
Mr.  Charles  T.  Mathews. 

"The  first  and  perhaps  the  most  important  problem 
to  be  solved  by  the  successful  architect  was  the  re- 
modeling of  the  rear  wall  of  the  Cathedral.  The  visi- 
tor to  the  Cathedral  will  see  at  a  glance  with  what 
great  success  this  difficulty  has  been  solved.  The  rear 
wall  was  removed  and  the  side  aisles  were  continued 
as  an  ambulatory  leading  back  of  the  high  altar.  From 
the  rear  of  the  ambulatory  we  pass  at  once  into  the 
Lady  Chapel,  which  is   flanked  by  two  small  semi- 

*  Architectural  Record,  June,   1907,  p.  420.     A.  H.  Gumaer. 


VURE  «r    COLOR     CO 


AI-TAR.        OF     ST.   M1CMA.EI-      AND     ST.I.OUI! 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     165 

octagonal  chapels.  The  great  advantage  of  this  solution 
is  that  the  Cathedral  was  lengthened  and  a  vista  opened 
up  behind  the  high  altar,  so  that  the  Cathedral,  viewed 
from  the  western  portal,  seems  half  again  as  long  as 
formerly.  The  ambulatory,  it  is  true,  has  decreased 
the  available  depth  for  the  chapel,  but  as  this  floor 
space  may  be  utilized  when  necessary,  the  seating  capac- 
ity of  the  chapel  has  not  been  diminished  to  any  great 
extent.  Behind  the  high  altar  a  marble  stairway  leads 
to  the  sacristy  underneath  the  chapel.  The  bronze 
door  to  the  west  closes  the  burial  crypt  of  the  Arch- 
bishops. At  the  rear  of  the  sacristy,  and  directly  be- 
low the  high  altar  of  the  chapel,  there  is  a  burial  crypt 
for  the  family  of  the  donors.  The  crypt  is  separated 
from  the  sacristy  by  bronze  doors.  At  the  foot  of  the 
marble  stairway  is  an  exquisitely  wrought  bronze  grille, 
bearing  in  high  relief  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  late  Pope 
Leo  XIII.,  during  whose  pontificate  the  greater  part 
of  the  chapel  was  constructed.  On  either  side  of  the 
chapel  underneath  the  terrace,  with  a  floor  level  a  few 
feet  lower  than  the  sacristy,  are  two  rooms  which  are 
used  for  the  sanctuary  boys  and  for  the  sacred  vest- 
ments respectively.  From  these  side  rooms  stairways 
descend  another  story  down  to  the  subcellar.  Beneath 
the  terrace  on  the  north  side  of  the  chapel,  a  boiler 
room  has  been  excavated.  The  great  problem  which 
the  architect  had  to  meet  in  designing  the  underground 
sacristy  was  to  provide  for  sufficient  light.  The  great 
Gothic  cathedrals  of  the  thirteenth  century  rise  from 
the  ground  in  a  mass  of  solid  masonry,  and  this 
massive  foundation  emphasizes  their  strength  and  sta- 
bility. Evidently,  if  these  walls  of  masonry  are  pierced 
by  basement  windows,  that  impression  of  strength  is 


166     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

to  some  extent  weakened,  if  not  entirely  lost.  The 
architect  has  displayed  great  skill  in  solving  this  dif- 
ficulty. He  has  cut  areas  between  the  buttresses  in  the 
large  base  or  stylobate,  from  which  the  chapel  arises. 
This  base  is  so  high  that  the  gratings  over  the  areas  are 
not  visible  from  the  street  or  the  terrace.  The  sacristy 
windows  opening  into  these  areas  are  of  opaque  leaded 
glass,  so  in  the  interior  one  does  not  in  the  least  have 
the  impression  of  being  in  a  room  which  is  more  than 
half  under  ground.  The  construction  of  the  stairway 
to  the  sacristy  is  a  delicate  piece  of  engineering,  and  at 
first  occasioned  considerable  anxiety.  The  stairway 
passes  between  the  foundations  of  the  two  rear  piers 
of  the  Cathedral,  which  support  the  clerestory  walls  of 
the  choir.  These  were  built  on  a  solid  rock,  and  the 
construction  of  the  stairway  necessitated  the  removal 
of  the  rock  between  these  piers.  Blasting  between  these 
foundations  was  a  very  delicate  operation,  for  the 
slightest  accident  might  have  wrecked  the  entire  Cathe- 
dral. Fortunately,  the  work  was  carried  out  with 
great  success,  and  the  foundations  are  now  in  better 
condition  than  they  ever  were  before. 

"The  style  employed  by  Mr.  Mathews  for  the  archi- 
tecture of  the  chapel  is  the  Gothic  of  France  in  the 
thirteenth  century,  though  as  we  get  toward  the  top 
of  the  structure  some  of  the  carving,  particularly  that 
on  the  pinnacles  of  the  buttresses,  has  the  character 
of  the  more  ornate  work  of  the  early  fourteenth  cen- 
tury, giving  the  impression  of  a  building  whose  con- 
struction had  extended  from  one  century,  into  the 
other.  The  aim  has  been  to  make  the  structure  as 
nearly  as  possible  archseologically  correct,  and  the 
greatest  care  has  been  taken  with  all  the  details,  in 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     167 

order  to  bring  about  this  result.  The  profiles  of  the 
moldings  have  been  very  carefully  studied,  especially 
those  arch  and  gable  moldings  which  appear  in  elon- 
gated vertical  sections  on  the  sides  of  the  buttresses. 
This  very  characteristic  feature  is  usually  avoided  in 
modern  work,  it  being  easier  and  cheaper  either  to  con- 
tinue the  moldings  down  to  the  sill,  or  to  terminate 
them  on  a  horizontal  band  at  the  spring  of  the  arch. 
The  modeling  of  the  grotesques  and  foliage  was  done 
under  the  personal  supervision  of  the  architect,  and 
in  some  cases  they  are  the  work  of  his  own  hand.  The 
gargoyles  are  not  as  fantastic  as  those  which  were 
originally  designed  for  the  purpose.  As  compared  with 
the  Cathedral,  the  chapel  is  more  refined  in  scale.  The 
moldings  are  sharper,  the  carvings  have  more  sparkle, 
and  the  architecture,  as  a  whole,  is  more  ornate  and 
elaborate.  It  is  a  rich  and  delicate  pendant  to  the 
Cathedral  rather  than  a  glorious  crown,  as  is  sug- 
gested by  the  chevet  of  the  French  cathedrals.  An 
original  feature  in  the  treatment  of  the  exterior  is  the 
small  octagonal  spire,  decorated  with  open  tracery, 
which  is  placed  over  each  of  the  flanking  chapels.  These 
are  the  means  of  hiding,  in  a  very  clever  manner,  the 
awkward  silhouette  of  the  main  roof.  The  roof  of  the 
ambulatory  is  lower  than  the  roof  of  the  chapel,  being 
a  continuation  of  the  roof  of  the  side  aisle.  Conse- 
quently, we  have  in  silhouette,  first,  the  high  choir  wall, 
then  a  drop  down  for  the  roof  of  the  ambulatory,  then 
a  rise  for  the  roof  of  the  chapel.  The  reason,  of 
course,  for  making  the  roof  of  the  ambulatory  low 
is  to  get  the  full  amount  of  light  into  the  choir.  If 
the  ridge  of  the  chapel  roof  were  carried  back  to  the 
choir  wall,  it  would  be  impossible  to  bring  the  rear 


168     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

choir  window  down  to  the  same  level  as  the  others. 
In  most  French  churches  this  unpleasant  line  is  rarely 
seen  on  account  of  the  maze  of  flying  buttresses,  which 
loses  the  outline  of  the  roof,  but  at  St.  Patrick's,  un- 
fortunately, on  account  of  the  vaults  being  in  plaster 
and  not  in  stone,  there  are  no  flying  buttresses,  and  it 
has  been  necessary  to  resort  to  this  device,  which  is 
both  ingenious  and  effective."  The  exterior  of  the 
chapel  is  practically  complete,  with  the  exception  of  a 
large  bronze  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  which  is  to 
be  placed  at  the  end  of  the  ridge  of  the  roof.  "The 
stone  used  in  the  construction  of  the  Cathedral  is  dolo- 
mite, but  for  the  Lady  Chapel  it  was  found  impossible 
to  obtain  the  same  stone,  as  the  original  quarry  was  in 
no  condition  to  yield  large  blocks.  It  was,  therefore, 
decided  to  employ  an  entirely  different  sort  of  stone, 
and  a  very  fine  quality  of  Vermont  marble  was  selected 
for  the  purpose,  which  weathers  to  warmer  tones  than 
the  cold  glaze  of  the  dolomite.  The  roof  and  the 
fleche,  which  are  of  copper,  together  with  the  bronze 
figure  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  will  in  a  short  time  take 
on  patina,  which  will  give  a  touch  of  color  to  the  roof, 
lightening  up  this  feature,  which  now,  perhaps,  seems  a 
bit  dark  and  heavy. 

"Everything  in  the  interior  is  stone,  with  the  excep- 
tion, as  in  the  body  of  the  church,  of  the  vaults,  which 
in  this  case  are  made  in  plaster  on  expanded  metal.  All 
the  thrusts,  however,  for  the  stone-vaulted  ceiling  have 
been  computed,  and  the  buttresses  are  built  sufficiently 
strong  to  withstand  them.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  be- 
fore many  years  means  may  be  provided  for  giving  to 
these  buttresses  the  work  for  which  they  were  designed 
and  constructed.     The  pavement  of  the  chapel  is  of 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     169 

polished  marble,  inlaid  in  the  Gothic  pattern,  yellow, 
gray,  green,  and  white  being  the  colors  employed.  In 
the  middle  of  the  pavement  are  inlaid  the  arms  of  Leo 
XIIL,  in  high  relief."* 

The  Lady  Chapel,  including  the  flanking  chapels, 
will  have  fifteen  windows  representing  the  fifteen  mys- 
teries of  the  Rosary.  The  type  of  window  to  be  em- 
ployed is  the  medallion  window,  of  which  there  are 
such  fine  examples  at  the  Cathedral  at  Chartres.  "The 
large  medallion  at  the  top  of  each  window  is  to  set 
forth  the  mystery  itself,  while  the  lower  part  is  to  be 
made  up  of  compositions  representing  the  prophecies 
which  foretold,  or  the  types  and  symbols  of  the  particu- 
lar mystery  in  the  medallion  above.  An  elaborate 
baldacchino  and  screen  are  to  form  the  climax  of  the 
interior  scheme.  This  is  to  be  made  a  very  brilliant 
feature  by  gilding  all  the  decorated  surfaces,  which 
will  reflect  the  light  at  all  angles.  As  has  already  been 
mentioned,  one  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  the  new 
chapel,  or  in  the  solution  of  the  problem  which  has  now 
been  realized,  is  the  gain  which  comes  to  the  interior 
of  the  Cathedral  in  added  length  and  increased  in- 
terest at  the  end  of  the  vista,  which  formerly  ter- 
minated abruptly  behind  the  high  altar.  Now  one 
sees  back  of  the  great  reredos  a  mysterious  maze  of 
arches  and  columns  and  vaults,  continuing  the  per- 
spective beyond  until  it  is  lost  in  the  dimness  of  the 
interior,  through  which  at  the  end  of  the  vista  glow 
the  mysteries  of  faith  in  flaming  jewels  of  light."f 

The  Lady  Chapel  is  indeed  the  Holy  of  Holies.  It 
is  difficult  at  this  writing  to  realize  what  a  magnificent 
contrast  will  break  upon  the  visitor  as  he  passes  from 

*  Architectural  Record, 
t  Ibid. 


170     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

the  heavy,  severe  tone  of  the  Cathedral  proper,  to  the 
finer  lines  and  more  delicate  tracery  of  the  Lady 
Chapel,  and  the  harmonious  colors  of  its  jewel-like 
windows.  The  first  Mass  was  said  in  the  Lady  Chapel 
on  Christmas,  1906. 

The  Lady  Chapel  adds  two  hundred  and  ninety 
square  yards  of  space  to  the  Cathedral.  It  is  fifty-six 
and  a  half  feet  long  by  twenty-eight  feet  wide  and 
fifty-six  feet  high.  The  flanking  chapels,  semi-octago- 
nals,  are  twenty-one  feet  in  diameter.  The  ambulatory 
is  sixty-four  feet  long  by  fifteen  feet  wide  and  forty- 
eight  feet  high. 

The  Altars. 

the  altar  of  st.  michael  and  st.  louis. 

(North  Side.) 

This  altar  is  dedicated  to  St.  Michael  and  St.  Louis, 
and  has  just  been  completed.  The  moldings,  distribu- 
tion, and  mass  belong  for  the  most  part  to  the  thirteenth 
century  Gothic  of  France,  though  the  lighter  carvings 
are  more  playful  and  are  inspired  by  the  later  transi- 
tional period  between  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  cen- 
turies, as  is  customary  in  church  furniture. 

The  reredos  consists  of  three  canopied  niches.  The 
center  niche  is  lined  with  green  and  gold  bronze,  or- 
namented with  a  diaper  pattern,  and  powdered  with 
gold  fleurs-de-lis.  The  two  side  niches  are  powdered 
with  marble  fleurs-de-lis,  or  the  lilies  of  France,  on 
the  inside,  and  lined  with  gold  mosaic  of  the  Byzan- 
tine type,  the  cubes  following  the  curvature  of  said 
lilies. 

The  side  niches  contain  the  statues  of  St.  Michael 
and  St.  Louis,  the  two  warrior  saints  (one  celestial,  the 


ALTAR        OF     ST.    EUZABETH 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     171 

other  terrestrial)  as  guardians  of  the  symbol  of  Chris- 
tianity which  stands  alone  in  its  simplicity  in  the  cen- 
ter niche. 

The  tabernacle  is  of  marble  richly  carved,  the  door 
and  door  frame  of  green  bronze  picked  out  sparingly 
with  gold.  On  the  tabernacle  door  is  a  bas-relief 
showing  an  enthroned  figure  of  Our  Lord  in  an  atti- 
tude of  benediction.  The  antependium  of  the  altar- 
table  is  triple  in  composition,  with  three  deep  sinkages 
framed  richly  in  carving,  and  divided  by  small  niches 
for  statuettes.  Marble  escutcheons,  against  back- 
grounds of  gold  mosaic,  ornament  each  of  these  sink- 
ages,  and  in  turn  are  charged  with  appropriate  heraldic 
devices.  The  one  beneath  the  statue  of  St.  Louis  bears 
the  "arms"  of  the  king.  That  beneath  the  statue  of 
St.  Michael  holds  the  emblem  of  "The  Order  of  St. 
Michael,"  while  the  center  escutcheon  is  ornamented 
with  the  I.  H.  S.  or  monogram  of  Our  Lord. 

The  sides  of  the  altar-table  are  ornamented  in  a 
similar  manner  to  the  front,  each  with  a  shield  bearing 
a  small  device,  namely  the  crown  of  St.  Louis,  and  the 
crown  of  thorns. 

The  altar  was  designed  by  Charles  T.  Mathews,  the 
architect  of  the  Lady  Chapel,  and  executed  by  Tiffany 
and  Co.  The  altar  is  the  gift  of  Mr.  Michel  Bouvier, 
and  the  Misses  Zenaide,  Alexine,  and  Marie  Bouvier. 

THE  ALTAR  OF  ST.  ELIZABETH. 

(South  Side.) 
The  altar  on  the  south  side  of  the  Lady  Chapel  is 
the  gift  of  the  Hon.  John  D.  Crimmins,  and  is  dedi- 
cated to  St.  Elizabeth.  It  belongs  for  the  most  part 
to  the  ornate  fifteenth  century  Gothic  period  of  France, 
though  here  and  there  the  richness  is  punctuated  by 


172     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

thirteenth  century  feeling,  as  though  to  declare  its 
evolution  from  that  beautiful,  severe  style.  The  rere- 
dos  consists  of  a  single  canopied  niche,  with  rich 
carving  falling  away  on  either  side,  and  is  surmounted 
by  a  spire  carved  to  a  great  height.  The  niche  which 
contains  the  statue  of  the  saint  is  lined  with  green  and 
gold,  the  material  being  malachite,  laced  over  with 
bronze  covered  with  gold-leaf,  and  studded  with  fleurs- 
de-lis  of  the  same  material. 

On  either  side  of  the  tabernacle  door  are  sinkages  or 
niches  rectangular  in  section,  surmounted  by  ogival 
arches,  and  filled  with  sculptures  representing  episodes 
from  the  life  of  St.  John  the  Baptist.  The  sculptures, 
which  are  grouped  figurines,  are  thrown  into  relief  by 
backgrounds  of  malachite. 

The  altar-shelf  is  supported  by  an  elaborate  arcature 
containing  statuettes  of  the  twelve  Apostles.  The  ante- 
pendium,  like  that  of  the  north  chapel  of  the  ambula- 
tory, is  triple  in  composition.  It  consists  of  three 
niches  rectangular  in  their  horizontal  section,  divided 
by  small  fifteenth  century  buttresses,  and  surmounted 
by  segmental  arches  deeply  and  heavily  crocketed.  The 
center  niche  is  lined  with  malachite,  having  a  diaper 
pattern  and  fleurs-de-lis  in  bronze  covered  with  gold- 
leaf.  The  flanking  niches  are  filled  with  sculptured 
representations,  in  high  relief,  from  the  life  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist,  to  whose  mother  the  altar  is  dedi- 
cated. 

At  either  corner  of  the  altar-table  front  are  Gothic 
columns  with  polished  shafts.  In  the  foliage  of  the 
capitals  the  architect  has  chosen  a  thirteenth  century 
treatment,  as  showing  greater  vigor  than  the  fifteenth 
century  work,   an  important  element  in  constructive 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     173 

features  or  supporting  members  of  prominence.  The 
design  is  by  Charles  T.  Mathews;  the  execution  by- 
Paolo  Medici,  Rome. 

THE  HIGH  ALTAR. 

The  High  Altar,  erected  at  the  east  end  of  the  edi- 
fice, in  the  center  aisle  of  the  choir,  stands  thirty  feet 
distant  from  the  entrance  to  the  Lady  Chapel.  The 
reredos,  or  altar-screen,  thirty-three  feet  in  width  and 
fifty  feet  in  height  to  the  top  of  the  center  pinnacle, 
was  carved  and  finished  in  Poitiers  stone,  at  St.  Brieuc, 
in  France  by  Paul  Guibe.  It  was  presented  by  the 
clergy  of  the  Archdiocese.  The  center  tower  of  the  rere- 
dos has  a  niche  containing  a  statue  of  St.  Patrick,  by 
J.  Sibbel,  and  the  two  flanking  towers  bear  statues  of 
St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.  Over  these  statues  the  towers 
rise  and  are  crowned  with  pierced  spires  of  open  tra- 
cery-work. The  spaces  between  the  central  and  the 
two  corner  towers  are  divided  into  six  niches,  three 
on  either  side  of  the  center,  containing  angelic  figures 
bearing  emblems  of  the  Passion. 

The  altar  proper  is  the  work  of  Signor  Carimini  and 
was  constructed  in  Rome,  Italy,  together  with  the 
tabernacle  and  stylobate,  or  lower  division  of  the  re- 
redos. These  are  all  of  the  purest  Italian  marble,  in- 
laid with  alabasters  and  precious  marbles.  The  front 
of  the  bottom  part  of  the  altar  is  divided  into  niches 
and  panels;  the  niches  containing  statues  of  the  four 
Evangelists,  the  panels  representing  in  bas-reliefs  the 
Last  Supper,  the  Carrying  of  the  Cross,  the  Agony  in 
the  Garden — all  in  the  purest  Carrara  marble.  The 
tabernacle  on  the  altar  is  of  marble,  decorated  with 
Roman  mosaics,  flanked  by  columns  of  rare  and  costly 


174     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

marbles,  and  has  a  floor  of  gilt  bronze  set  with  rich 
sjtones.  The  entire  cost  was  $35,000.  The  altar  is  the 
gift  of  His  Eminence  Cardinal  McCloskey.  The  statue 
of  St.  Patrick  was  donated  by  John  B.  Manning,  and 
was  blessed  by  Archbishop  Corrigan,  March  17,  1901. 
A  crypt  or  vault  for  the  entombing  of  the  Arch- 
bishops of  New  York  is  constructed  under  the  floor  of 
the  sanctuary,  at  a  distance  of  ten  feet  from  the  front 
of  the  high  altar.  The  crypt  is  lined  with  stone  of  dif- 
ferent colors  and  white  marble.  It  is  of  sufficient 
capacity  to  contain  forty- two  coffins. 

THE  ALTAR  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART. 

This  is  in  the  south  transept,  and  is  of  bronze,  very 
elaborately  ornamented.  Over  the  tabernacle  Our  Lord 
stands  on  a  pedestal  or  base  supported  by  two  kneel- 
ing angels;  on  either  side  of  the  tabernacle  are  repre- 
sented in  bas-reliefs  the  Last  Supper  and  the  Appari- 
tion of  Our  Lord  to  Blessed  Margaret  Mary  Alacoque. 
In  front  are  four  statues  representing  the  sacrifices  of 
the  Old  Dispensation,  and  in  the  middle  Our  Lord 
holds  a  chalice.  Columns  of  Egyptian  granite  with 
capitals  and  pedestals  of  white  marble  stand  on  either 
side.  They  are  surmounted  by  bronze  statues  of  St. 
Peter  and  St.  Paul,  a  gift  from  His  Holiness  Pius  IX. 
to  His  Eminence  the  Cardinal.  This  altar  is  the  gift 
of  His  Eminence  Cardinal  McCloskey. 

THE  HOLY  FAMILY  ALTAR. 

The  Holy  Family- altar  is  in  the  north  transept.  It 
was  designed  by  James  Renwick,  and  executed  by  the 
Draddy  Brothers.  The  steps  are  of  gray  marble  and 
the  platforms  of  mosaic  in  marbles  of  different  colors. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     175 

The  altar  itself  is  of  white  marble  with  columns  of 
Mexican  onyx.  The  plinth  of  the  reredos  is  of  light 
gray  marble,  inlaid  with  red  and  green  marbles.  The 
second  plinth  is  of  white  marble  with  the  panels  of 
Mexican  onyx.  With  the  exception  of  the  three  bas- 
reliefs,  the  whole  of  the  reredos  is  in  Caen  stone,  very 
beautifully  and  elaborately  ornamented.  The  three 
bas-reliefs  are  of  statuary  marble  and  the  columns  are 
of  onyx.  The  center  relief  represents  the  Holy  Family; 
the  side-reliefs  are  the  Annunciation  and  the  Adoration 
of  the  Magi.  The  smaller  figures  are  in  white  alabas- 
ter, the  larger  in  white  marble.  Carved  on  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle  are  clustering  grapes  and  wheat, 
representing  the  bread  and  wine  used  in  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  Mr.  Renwick  wrote  to  the 
donor :  "I  have  made  this  design  with  all  the  thought 
and  genius  I  am  capable  of,  and  I  trust  it  will  please 
you."  This  altar  was  donated  by  Joseph  A.  Donohoe 
of  San  Francisco,  and  was  consecrated  Nov.  11,  1893, 
by  Archbishop  Corrigan. 

st.  Joseph's  altar. 

St.  Joseph's  altar  stands  in  the  south  ambulatory, 
and  is  of  bronze  and  mosaic.  Three  scenes  are  repre- 
sented on  its  front.  In  the  middle  the  Archangel 
Gabriel  announces  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin;  on  the  Gospel  side  St.  Joseph 
teaches  the  Infant  Jesus  his  trade,  and  on  the  Epistle 
side  St.  Anne  instructs  the  child  Mary.  This  altar, 
together  with  the  window  of  St.  Agnes,  is  the  gift  of 
Mrs.  Agnes  Maitland. 

The  Archbishop's  throne,  erected  against  the  first 
column  inside  the  sanctuary,  on  the  Gospel  side,  is  of 


176     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

carved  French  oak.  Over  the  seat  is  a  magnificent 
Gothic  canopy,  supported  by  columns  of  the  same  style, 
and  crowned  by  an  octagonal  lantern  ornamented  with 
statues,  crockets,  and  finials. 

The  handsome  sanctuary-rail,  of  polished  brass, 
branching  out  from  the  first  columns  of  the  sanctuary, 
forms  an  elliptical  curve.  The  design  consists  of 
highly  ornamented  pillars,  from  which  spring  wide 
arches ;  on  the  summits  of  the  pillars,  at  the  junction  of 
the  arches,  are  inserted  intricate  ornaments  of  delicate 
execution,  prominently  exhibiting  the  oak-leaf  and  the 
acorn.  It  is  similar  on  both  sides,  and  surmounted  by 
a  massive  oak  strip. 

THE  PULPIT. 

This  is  situated  on  the  Epistle  side,  at  the  first 
column  outside  the  sanctuary  of  the  main  altar.  It  is 
of  the  same  style  of  Gothic  architecture  as  the  building 
itself,  and  was  designed  by  the  same  architect.  It  was 
carved  and  finished  at  Carrara,  Italy.  It  is  octagonal 
in  form  and  is  carried  by  eight  columns  of  beautiful 
Sienna  marble,  with  their  bases  and  caps  molded  and  en- 
riched with  carvings,  and  resting  on  a  finely  molded 
pedestal  of  Carrara  marble.  Over  these  columns  the 
outward  swell  of  the  corbel  or  body  begins;  the  sur- 
face is  divided  by  light  moldings,  and  tastefully  orna- 
mented with  oak  and  chestnut  leaves:  the  cornice  of 
the  corbel,  enriched  with  carvings  of  the  ball  flower, 
marks  the  starting  line  of  the  latera  or  sides  of  the 
pulpit;  each  side  representing  the  perfect  triform 
Gothic  arch  sustained  by  columns  of  Mexican  onyx, 
and  molded,  panelled,  and  highly  ornamented.  On  the 
angles  between   each   side  are  niches,   in   which   are 


O&RAVURE  &     CC 


'h^OLTY       FVKTN 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     177 

placed  statuettes  of  pure  white  statuary  marble.  The 
statuette  in  the  niche  nearest  the  sanctuary  represents 
St.  John  the  Evangelist;  the  next,  St.  Peter;  St.  Pat- 
rick occupies  the  center  niche ;  on  his  left  is  St.  Paul ; 
and  in  the  fifth  and  last  is  the  statue  of  St.  Andrew 
the  Apostle.  The  niches  are  canopied,  groined,  and 
enriched  with  pendants  and  finials.  The  frieze  is  orna- 
mented with  grape-vines,  while  the  cornice  surmount- 
ing it  is  enlivened  by  twining  sprays  of  shamrock.  The 
rostrum  is  reached  by  a  flight  of  twelve  steps  winding 
round  the  marble  column ;  the  lower  steps  are  carried 
on  a  crypt,  the  upper  ones  are  self-sustaining;  they 
carry  on  their  exterior  curve  a  handsome  balustrade  of 
rich  pierced  tracery  work,  leading  to  the  pulpit  from  a 
finely  carved  newel. 

The  marble  in  which  this  work  is  executed  is  known 
to  connoisseurs  as  canal-bianco,  and  is  from  the  quarry 
from  which  were  extracted  the  marble  columns  of  the 
portico  of  the  Pantheon,  Rome. 

The  pulpit  was  presented  by  the  clergy  of  the  Dio- 
cese to  Cardinal  McCloskey,  as  a  memorial  of  the 
golden  jubilee  or  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination 
to  the  priesthood,  which  took  place  January  12,  1884. 

THE  STATIONS  OF  THE  CROSS. 

The  Stations  of  the  Cross  in  the  north  and  south 
transepts  are  in  full  relief,  carved  in  the  finest  grade 
of  Caen  stone,  and  their  cream  white  tone  conforms 
to  the  tint  of  the  stonework  in  the  interior  of  the  edi- 
fice. Both  the  statuary  and  frames  are  very  richly 
carved  in  great  architectural  designs  and  proportions, 
in  accordance  with  the  other  fixtures  of  the  Cathedral. 
Three  of  the  Stations  were  exhibited  at  the  World's 


178     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Fair  in  Chicago,  and  were  awarded  the  first  prize. 
Their  cost  was  $10,000.  Two  were  donated  by  Mrs. 
M.  A.  Mills,  two  by  Cornelius  O'Reilly,  one  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Joseph  J.  O'Donohue,  one  by  Marquise  de 
San  Marzano,  one  by  Thomas  H.  O'Connor  and  one  by 
Mrs.  D.  M.  Hildreth.  The  stations  were  ordered  from 
the  Stoltzenberg  Co.,  ateliers  in  Raermond,  Holland, 
and  were  specially  executed  after  the  designs  of  the 
celebrated  architect,  Dr.  Cuypers,  of  Holland. 

THE  OSTENSORIUM. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  bi-centenary  of  Blessed  Mar- 
garet Mary,  October  25,  1890,  the  League  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  in  charge  of  the  Rev.  Jos.  H.  McMahon, 
offered  to  present  to  the  Cathedral  a  magnificent  osten- 
sorium  to  be  used  for  the  monthly  exposition  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Many  ladies  contributed  their 
diamonds,  precious  stones,  gold  and  silver  jewelry  to 
make  the  work  their  own,  and  as  worthy  as  possible  of 
the  Eucharistic  Christ.  The  ostensorium  is  made  of 
silver,  first  quality,  heavily  gilt,  and  consists  of  an 
ostensorium  proper,  and  a  thabor.  The  glory,  or  the 
rays  of  the  ostensorium,  consist  of  eight  trilobated  di- 
visions, upheld  by  eight  columns  resting  on  the  cen- 
tral disc.  The  base  is  formed  of  four  panels  on  which 
is  represented  the  brazen  serpent,  symbolic  of  the  cross 
in  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  three  sacrifices  of  Abra- 
ham, Melchisedech,  and  Abel.  The  base  rests  upon 
four  animals,  symbolic  of  vanquished  evil.  The  shaft 
springing  from  the  base  is  ornamented  richly  with 
enameled  daisies,  the  daisy  being  the  "marguerite,"  the 
flower  of  Margaret  Mary.  Under  the  knot  of  the 
shaft  is  a  niche  containing  a  group  representing  the 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     179 

Nativity  of  Our  Lord.  In  a  corresponding  niche  on 
the  opposite  side  a  similar  sacred  subject  is  represented. 
In  the  compartments  of  the  rose  work  of  the  glory 
there  are  eight  medallions  on  each  side,  representing  in 
relief  subjects  which  form  the  theme  of  the  poem  to 
the  Sacred  Heart.  On  the  first  medallion  there  are 
two  angels  carrying  the  Sacred  Heart  surrounded  by 
a  nimbus.  On  the  second,  Blessed  Margaret  Mary  is 
represented  as  seen  stripping  hemp  on  the  steps  at  the 
convent  at  Paray-le-Monial.  The  third  represents  the 
apparition  of  the  Sacred  Heart  to  Blessed  Margaret 
Mary.  The  fourth,  the  scene  near  the  hazel-nut  tree  in 
the  enclosure  of  the  garden  of  the  Visitation.  The 
fifth  represents  the  Blessed  Margaret  and  another  re- 
ligious adoring  the  Sacred  Heart.  The  sixth,  which 
is  at  the  top  of  the  glory,  represents  the  Crucifixion, 
with  the  soldier  piercing  the  Sacred  Heart.  The 
seventh,  which  is  at  the  right,  represents  St.  John  re- 
posing on  the  Sacred  Heart,  and  the  eighth,  which  is 
on  the  left,  represents  St.  Thomas  touching  the  wound 
in  the  Sacred  Heart.  Inscriptions  referring  to  these 
representations  are  drawn  out  and  enameled  on  the 
foils.  The  medallions  on  the  opposite  side  correspond- 
ing to  these  represent  scenes  from  the  life  of  Our  Lord, 
especially  referring  to  the  institution  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  The  rose  work  is  surrounded  by  enameled 
beams,  and  rises  much  above  the  irradiation,  the  orna- 
mentation, and  the  cherubim.  The  cross  surmounting 
the  glory  is  covered  with  precious  stones  and  almost 
every  portion  of  the  monstrance  is  decorated  in  the 
same  manner.  There  is  much  enameling  on  the  base, 
underneath  the  various  representations,  in  the  frame- 
work surrounding  them,  and  on  the  flowers,  especially 


180     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

the  daisies  and  passion  flowers.  The  curves  which 
cover  the  groundwork  of  the  medallions  in  the  rose 
work  are  also  enameled,  and  likewise  the  angels'  wings, 
the  nimbus,  etc. 

There  are  fourteen  seraphim  modeled  on  the  face 
of  the  monstrance,  and  as  many  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  ostensorium  weighs  10,500  grammes  and  is  one 
meter  and  ten  centimeters  in  height.  The  thabor  con- 
sists of  a  platform  supported  on  the  wings  of  four 
eagles  placed  at  the  corners,  with  angels  adoring  on  the 
top  of  the  platform.  The  ornamentations  of  the  tha- 
bor are  daisies  and  passion  flowers  on  the  moldings, 
the  base,  and  the  capitals.  The  figures  are  carefully 
modeled  and  chiseled.  The  flowers,  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  in  all,  are  enameled  "en  feu."  Twenty 
medallions  which  adorn  the  thabor  are  also  enameled. 
The  thabor  is  made  of  gilded  bronze  ormulu. 

The  ostensorium  was  made  at  the  studio  of  M.  Ar- 
mand  Calliat  at  Lyons,  France,  and  was  presented  to 
the  Cathedral  in  1893. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Description  of  the  New  Cathedral. 

(Continued.) 

The  Windows. 

The  Cathedral  possesses  a  very  fine  collection  of 
stained-glass  windows.  For  size,  number,  richness  of 
coloring,  variety,  and  artistic  beauty,  the  windows 
through  which  this  vast  Cathedral  is  flooded  with  dim 
religious  light  are  perhaps  unsurpassed  in  this  country. 

It  is  a  matter  of  sincere  congratulation  that  all  have 
been  executed  in  that  country  where  the  most  precious 
treasures  of  the  art  survive — in  France — and  that  al- 
most all  of  them  were  made  under  the  very  shadow  of 
the  Cathedral  of  Chartres,  where,  it  is  universally  ad- 
mitted, the  most  beautiful  specimens  of  the  thirteenth 
century  painted  glass  are  preserved. 

There  are  in  all  seventy  windows  in  the  Cathedral. 
Of  these  thirty-seven  are  figured,  i.e.,  represent  scenes 
from  Scripture  and  from  the  lives  of  the  saints ;  twenty 
are  filled  with  what  is  termed  cathedral  stained  glass, 
having  only  geometrical  figures;  and  the  remainder 
being  needed  for  the  purpose  of  lighting  portions  of  the 
building  where  utility  rather  than  ornament  is  the  ob- 
ject in  view,  are  filled  with  white  glass. 

Of  the  figured,  the  two  great  windows  of  the  tran- 
sept are  storied  windows;  so-called  because  they  give 
the  history  or  story  of  a  life,  told  in  a  series  of  scenes 
— a  sort  of  epic  in  stained  glass.  Of  these  the  six- 
bayed  window  over  the  south  transept  door  is  first  en- 


182     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

titled  to  mention,   being  the  titular  window   of   the 
Cathedral. 

THE  WINDOW  OF  ST.  PATRICK. 

Here  we  have  the  whole  life  of  St.  Patrick  succinctly 
told  in  eighteen  scenes,  beginning  with  his  baptism  and 
ending  with  his  apotheosis.  We  shall  content  ourselves 
with  giving  the  inscriptions  under  each  scene,  and 
pointing  out  the  order  in  which  they  are  to  be  read. 

Beginning  at  the  base  of  the  left  hand  bay,  and  read- 
ing the  scenes  upward  in  lines  of  three  each,  we  find : 
1,  the  baptism  of  St.  Patrick;  2,  he  is  taken  prisoner  at 
the  age  of  thirteen ;  3,  an  angel  reveals  to  him  his  voca- 
tion ;  4,  he  preaches  the  Gospel  on  board  ship ;  5,  he  is 
sold  to  King  Milcho ;  6,  he  is  set  at  liberty  at  Maestric ; 
7,  he  is  made  a  cleric  by  his  uncle,  St.  Martin,  Bishop 
of  Tours;  8,  he  pursues  his  studies  in  the  island  of 
Lerins ;  9,  he  is  ordained  a  priest  by  Bishop  Sancaur  ; 
10,  he  sets  out  for  Rome;  11,  he  receives  the  blessing 
of  Pope  Celestine;  12,  he  is  consecrated  Bishop  by 
St.  Amataur;  13,  he  visits  St.  Germain  d'Auxerre; 
14,  he  converts  Dichu  and  his  family  (on  his  arrival  in 
Ireland) ;  15,  he  gives  Holy  Communion  to  the  prin- 
cesses Ethna  and  Fethlema;  16,  he  raises  Malfric  from 
the  dead;  17,  the  saint's  death;  18,  the  angels  singing 
his  funeral  dirge. 

In  the  center  of  the  tracery  is  the  beautifully  exe- 
cuted scene  of  St.  Patrick's  coronation  in  heaven. 
Around  this  scene,  in  the  tympanum,  hovers  a  circle  of 
angels,  copied  after  Fra  Angelico,  each  holding  a  scroll 
on  which  one  of  the  following  lines  is  inscribed,  and  all 
of  which  taken  together  make  a  hymn  of  sweet  and 
simple  Latinity,  descriptive  of  the  glories  of  heaven. 


COPYRIGHT  ;BS9  B>-  F.e.PABSHLCr 


HIGH    ALTAR 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     183 

We  give  the  hymn  entire,  and  with  it  a  beautiful  and 
faithful  translation  not  less  poetical  than  the  original : 

Quae  f  elix  ilia  civitas ! 
In  qua  jugis  solemnitas, 
Et  quam  jucunda  curia ! 
Quae  curae  prorsus  nescia. 

Illic  patres  dispositi, 
Nee  fraus,  nee  terror  hostium. 
Sed  una  vox  laetantium, 
Et  unus  ardor  cordium. 

Nee  languor  hie,  nee  senium. 
Pro  qualitate  meriti, 
Fruuntur  nee  fastidiunt, 
Qui  frui  magis  sitiunt. 
Mirantur  nee  deficiunt 
In  ilium  quern  prospiciunt. 

Semota  jam  caligine, 
Lumen  vident  in  lumine, 
Nunc  revelata  facie 
Regem  cernunt  in  gloria. 

How  fair  that  City  of  the  Blest ! 

One  festival  forever  there, 
The  Church,  triumphant  and  at  rest, 

Rules  her  wide  realm  without  a  care. 

Enthroned  there  the  Fathers  reign, 
Their  combat  o'er  with  foes  of  truth, 

All  voices  blend  in  joyous  strain, 

From  one  full  heart  of  ceaseless  youth. 

Nor  strength  can  fail,  nor  time  prevail, 
Each  soul,  in  meed  of  merit's  due, 

Receives  its  fill ;  and,  sateless  still, 
With  thirst  and  relish  ever  new, 

Drinks  in  a  joy  that  can  not  cloy 
The  vision  freshening  to  the  view. 


184     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Eternal  Beauty  meets  their  sight ; 

Not  dimly  now  by  faith  and  grace, 
They  see  the  Primal  Light  in  light, 

Their  King  in  glory  face  to  face. 

This  window  is  from  the  ateliers  of  M.  Ely,  of 
Nantes,  France.  The  execution  of  the  scenes  is  as  true 
as  an  oil  painting,  even  to  the  perspective,  so  difficult 
to  realize  in  stained  glass.  It  is  seen  to  best  advantage 
under  the  early  evening  light  just  before  the  sun  goes 
down. 

This  window  is  the  gift  of  the  "Old  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral  to  the  New,"  and  is  a  graceful  tribute  to  her 
more  accomplished  offspring  from  the  parent  church, 
about  to  lay  aside  the  honors  of  a  cathedral,  which 
she  had  worn  with  so  much  glory  through  storm  and 
sunshine,  during  the  lapse  of  more  than  half  a  century. 

THE    WINDOW   OF   THE   BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

The  window  is  located  over  the  north  transept  door. 
Like  the  corresponding  one  in  the  south  transept,  it, 
too,  is  a  storied  window,  giving  the  whole  life,  death, 
assumption,  and  coronation  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  in 
nineteen  scenes.  These  scenes  are  read  from  left  to 
right  in  lines  of  six  each.  Beginning  at  the  bottom  of 
the  left  hand  bay,  we  find :  1,  the  nativity  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary;  2,  her  presentation  in  the  Temple;  3,  she 
is  taught  by  St.  Anne ;  4,  she  is  espoused  to  St.  Joseph ; 
5,  the  Annunciation ;  6,  the  angel  appears  to  St.  Joseph 
in  his  sleep ;  7,  the  Blessed  Virgin  visits  St.  Elizabeth ; 
8,  the  nativity  of  Our  Lord ;  9,  the  shepherds  adore  the 
infant  Jesus  in  the  arms  of  Mary;  10,  adoration  of 
Jesus  by  the  Magi;  11,  the  presentation  of  the  infant 
Jesus  in  the  Temple;   12,  the  flight  into  Egypt;  13, 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     185 

Joseph  carries  the  infant  Jesus  during  the  journey;  14, 
the  Holy  Family  in  Nazareth;  15,  the  Mother  of  Sor- 
rows; 16,  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  Mary  and 
the  Apostles;  17,  death  of  the  Blessed  Virgin;  18,  the 
Assumption. 

High  above,  in  the  center  of  the  tracery,  is  the  scene 
of  Our  Lady's  coronation.  She  is  kneeling  in  an  atti- 
tude of  profound  humility,  while  her  divine  Son,  all 
radiant  with  joy,  places  the  crown  upon  her  head.  The 
Holy  Ghost,  under  the  form  of  a  dove,  hovers  above 
the  Mother  and  Son,  while  higher  still  is  seen  the  figure 
of  the  Eternal  Father  looking  down  "well-pleased"  on 
the  scene.  These  scenes  are  as  delicately  finished  as 
miniatures,  and  will  bear  as  close  inspection.  The 
mosaic  portions  of  the  work  exceed,  in  richness  and 
softness  of  tone,  anything  of  the  kind  in  the  Cathedral. 
In  the  tracery  around  the  coronation  scene,  the  trefoils, 
etc.,  are  filled  with  the  symbols  of  the  various  titles  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin  as  found  in  her  Litany.  Owing  to 
its  northern  location  this  window  is  seen  to  advantage 
at  any  hour  of  the  day.  It  is  said  by  many,  and  not 
without  reason,  to  be  the  gem  of  the  collection.  This 
and  all  the  windows  of  the  sanctuary,  on  which  we 
shall  touch  next,  are  from  the  ateliers  of  M.  Lorin  of 
Chartres.  It  is  the  gift  of  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  and 
clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Albany,  whose  cathedral  was 
built  and  dedicated  to  our  blessed  Lady  by  His  Emin- 
ence, the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of  New  York,  the  first 
Bishop  of  Albany. 

THE  WINDOWS  OF  THE  SANCTUARY. 

Turning  toward  the  sanctuary,  which  next  claims  our 
attention,  we  find  in  the  clerestory  eleven  windows.   Of 


186     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

these  the  six  lateral  windows  represent  subjects  relat- 
ing to  sacrifice — three  on  each  side.  The  remaining 
five  windows  of  the  apse,  or  curve  of  the  sanctuary, 
contain  subjects  taken  from  the  history  of  our  blessed 
Lord.  Beginning  with  the  windows  of  the  sacrifice, 
and  following  the  chronological  order,  we  find  that  the 
first  on  the  north  side  contains 

THE  SACRIFICE  OF  ABEL. 

In  the  foreground  are  seen  the  first  two  sons  of 
Adam  tending  each  an  altar.  The  whole  is  a  graphic 
rendering  of  the  scriptural  history — "And  it  came  to 
pass,  after  many  days,  that  Cain  offered  of  the  fruits 
of  the  earth  gifts  to  the  Lord.  Abel  also  offered  of  the 
firstlings  of  his  flock,  and  of  their  fat.  And  the  Lord 
had  respect  to  Abel  and  to  his  offerings;  but  to  Cain 
and  his  offerings  He  had  no  respect.  And  Cain  was 
exceedingly  angry,  and  his  countenance  fell."  On  the 
altar  of  Abel  a  lamb  is  being  consumed,  the  smoke  of 
which  ascends  between  the  extended  arms  of  the  in- 
nocent youth,  and  forms  a  cloud,  on  which  reposes  a 
figure  of  the  Eternal  Father,  who,  with  hand  extended 
toward  the  altar,  seems  "to  have  respect  to  Abel's  offer- 
ing." On  the  left  is  the  figure  of  Cain,  crouching 
rather  than  kneeling,  his  fallen  countenance  averted 
from  his  altar,  on  which  are  being  consumed  fruits  of 
the  earth.  The  smoke  ascends  ungracefully,  and  forms 
a  cloud,  emerging  from  which  is  seen  a  horned  figure 
of  Lucifer.  This  window  is  the  gift  of  Charles  and 
John  Johnston. 

The  subject  of  the  next  window  is 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     187 
THE  SACRIFICE  OF  NOE. 

The  patriarch  and  family  are  represented  as  offering 
sacrifice  to  God  in  thanksgiving  for  their  deliverance. 
The  scriptural  account  gives  the  key  to  the  whole  scene : 
"And  Noe  built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord ;  and  taking  all 
cattle  and  fowls  that  were  clean,  offered  holocausts 
upon  the  altar."  In  the  midst  of  the  prayerful  group 
is  an  altar  on  which  burns  a  lamb,  and  the  foreground 
is  strewn  with  sacrificial  knife,  vessels  of  blood,  and 
slain  beasts  and  fowl  ready  to  be  consumed.  In  the 
background,  oxen,  asses,  and  deer  are  browsing  on  the 
hillside,  while  in  the  distance  rises  Mount  Ararat,  and 
on  its  summit  rests  the  ark,  around  which  flocks  of 
birds  are  circling,  and,  enclosing  all,  the  rainbow 
shines  out  conspicuously.  The  effect  of  the  rainbow, 
as  seen  at  night  when  the  interior  of  the  Cathedral  is 
illuminated,  is  something  remarkable. 

The  adjoining  window  represents 

THE   SACRIFICE   OF   MELCHISEDECH. 

Here  is  beautifully  portrayed  the  scene  that  took 
place  in  "the  woodland  vale  which  now  is  the  salt  sea," 
when  "Melchisedech,  the  King  of  Salem,  bringing 
forth  bread  and  wine,  for  he  was  the  priest  of  the 
most  high  God,  blessed  Abram,  and  said:  Blessed  be 
Abram  by  the  most  high  God,  who  created  heaven 
and  earth."  In  the  foreground  is  seen  the  majestic 
form  of  Melchisedech  in  regal  attire,  holding  in  his 
hands  a  smoking  censer,  and  in  the  act  of  incensing 
the  offering  of  bread  and  wine  before  him,  in  which 
was  so  literally  foreshadowed  the  Sacrifice  of  the 
Mass.  Around  him  stand  Abram  and  a  group  of 
armed  warriors,  just  returned  from  victory.     In  the 


188     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

tracery  above  this  scene  an  angel  keeps  watch,  and 
around  the  circle  that  incloses  it  is  the  legend  in 
Latin,  "Thou  art  a  priest  forever  according  to  the 
order  of  Melchisedech." 

The  first  window  on  the  south  side  of  the  sanctuary 
represents 

THE  SACRIFICE  OF  ABRAHAM. 

The  three  figures,  the  angel,  Abraham,  and  Isaac, 
fill  the  foreground.  On  a  rude  altar  of  wood  and  pile 
of  faggots  the  boy,  with  hands  bound,  reclines,  his 
countenance  not  betraying  the  least  suspicion  of  harm. 
A  vessel  filled  with  fire  stands  ready  near  the  altar 
to  consume  the  human  sacrifice,  while  the  patriarch 
"has  taken  the  sword  to  sacrifice  his  son,  and  behold 
an  angel  of  the  Lord  called  to  him  saying:  Abraham! 
Abraham!  lay  not  thy  hand  upon  the  boy."  The  face 
of  the  "father  of  the  faithful"  is  full  of  astonishment, 
showing  admirably  the  depth  of  his  conviction  that 
God  must  be  obeyed,  even  though  an  angel  should  for- 
bid. The  calm  expression  of  the  angel  forms  a  strik- 
ing contrast  with  that  of  the  patriarch,  as  the  former 
stays  the  stroke  gently  with  one  hand,  and  with  the 
other  points  to  "a  ram  amongst  the  briars,  sticking  fast 
by  the  horns."  In  the  background  is  a  well  wrought 
out  mountain  scene  in  "the  land  of  vision."  This 
window  is  the  gift  of  Daniel  J.  Murphy,  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

The  subject  of  the  next  window  is 

THE  EATING  OF  THE  PASCHAL  LAMB. 

Here  we  have  the  interior  of  a  Hebrew  household. 
The  time  is  the  night  of  the  institution  of  the  feast  of 


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DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     189 

the  Passover,  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  The  father  of 
the  family  with  uplifted  hands  and  eyes  is  engaged 
in  profound  prayer,  in  which  the  other  members  unite, 
as  they  stand  around  the  board,  their  loins  girt,  shoes 
on  their  feet  and  holding  staves  in  their  hands,  while 
a  slave  bears  in  the  paschal  lamb,  "roasted  whole,  with 
the  head  and  feet  and  entrails  thereof."  A  boy  is 
seated  at  his  father's  feet,  deeply  intent  on  fastening 
his  sandal  for  a  journey  he  must  soon  make.  At  the' 
door  is  seen  a  female  sprinkling  the  door-cheeks  with 
"a  bunch  of  hyssop,  steeped  in  the  blood  of  the  lamb, 
that  he  who  destroyed  the  first-born  might  not  touch 
them,"  whilst  out  against  the  dark  night  sky  is  seen  the 
destroying  angel  speeding  on  his  errand  of  destruction. 
The  sixth  and  last  of  the  windows  of  the  Sacrifice 
represents  that  of  which  all  the  others  were  but  types 
and  figures — the  great  Sacrifice  of  Calvary.  In  the 
distance  rises  the  Mount  of  Calvary,  with  three  naked 
crosses  standing  out  against  the  sky.  The  sacrifice  is 
over,  Christ  has  been  laid  in  the  tomb.  The  sun  of 
justice  is  rising  behind  Calvary.  An  allegorical  figure 
of  Error  is  seen  fleeing  into  the  night,  surrounded  by 
owls  and  bats  and  the  emblems  of  darkness,  and 
stumbling  over  the  debris  of  broken  altars  and  imple- 
ments of  pagan  worship.  In  the  foreground  rises  an 
allegorical  figure  of  Truth,  who,  with  uplifted  cross, 
rules  the  world.  Before  this  figure  stands  an  altar 
on  which  a  kneeling  form  is  placing  the  noblest  offer- 
ing ever  made  to  Truth  in  this  hemisphere.  The  figure 
is  that  of  His  Eminence  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of 
New  York ;  the  offering  is  the  new  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral. This  window  bears  on  it  an  inscription  com- 
memorating the  date  of  His  Eminence's  creation  as 


190     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Cardinal,  March  15,  1875.  It  is  the  gift  of  John 
Laden. 

The  idea  of  the  above  six  windows  of  the  Sacrifice 
guarding  the  grand  altar  on  which  the  most  adorable 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  is  to  be  offered  will  be  recognized 
as  one  of  the  happiest  conceptions  in  connection  with 
the  Cathedral.  These  windows  will  stand,  we  trust, 
for  ages,  as  living  witnesses  to  the  fact  that  a  priest- 
hood, an  altar,  and  a  sacrifice  have  ever  been  essential 
elements  in  the  worship  of  God. 

We  now  come  to  the  windows  of  the  apse.  The 
subject  of  the  first  of  these,  beginning  on  the  south 
side,  in  order  to  follow  here  also  the  chronological 
order,  is 

THE  RESURRECTION  OF  LAZARUS. 

The  scene  represented  is  that  which  took  place  when 
Our  Lord  "cried  with  a  loud  voice :  Lazarus !  come 
forth."  With  one  hand  Christ  is  pointing  toward 
heaven,  as  if  the  echo  of  His  prayer,  "Father,  I  give 
Thee  thanks  that  Thou  hast  heard  Me,"  still  lingered 
in  the  air.  With  the  other  He  points  to  Lazarus,  and 
seems  to  order  those  present  "to  loose  him  and  let  him 
go."  The  face  of  Lazarus  is  a  good  subject  for  a 
meditation  on  death.  He  is  verily  a  risen  corpse  "of 
now  four  days."  He  is  kneeling  at  the  entrance  of  the 
sepulcher,  with  the  expression  of  one  called  suddenly 
from  a  deep  sleep,  half  doubting,  half  dreaming.  Be- 
hind him  stands  a  male  friend  who  is  in  the  act  of 
removing  the  napkin  that  is  bound  about  his  head.  An 
aged  female  is  wrapped  in  prayer,  and  at  her  side, 
kneeling  at  the  feet  of  the  Master,  is  Martha,  with  a 
look  of  unutterable  fear  mingled  with  joy. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     191 

This  window  is  the  gift  of  Miss  Ann  Eliza  Mc- 
Laughlin. 

THE   COMMUNION  OF  ST.   JOHN. 

In  this  window  is  represented  the  scene  at  the  Last 
Supper  when  Jesus  took  bread,  and  blessed  and  broke, 
and  gave  to  His  disciples  and  said :  "Take  ye  and  eat : 
this  is  My  body."  "The  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved"  is 
kneeling  in  the  foreground,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
Saviour's  face,  who,  standing,  is  in  the  act  of  pre- 
senting His  sacred  body  with  His  right  hand  to  St. 
John,  and  in  His  left  holding  a  chalice.  Around  the 
supper-table,  in  the  background,  are  five  of  the  Apos- 
tles looking  on  with  wrapt  attention.  The  window  is 
a  most  appropriate  offering  and  subject  to  commemor- 
ate the  First  Communion  of  the  donor,  Miss  Mamie 
Caldwell. 

The  central  window  of  the  apse  presents  the  scene  of 

THE  RESURRECTION  OF  OUR  LORD. 

This  window  justly  occupies  the  most  conspicuous 
site  in  the  sanctuary,  as  its  subject  is  the  hinge  on 
which  all  our  faith  turns.  "If  Christ  be  not  risen  then 
our  preaching  is  vain,  and  your  faith  also  is  vain."  It 
contains  also  the  best  executed  figure  of  our  blessed 
Lord  in  the  whole  collection  of  stained  glass.  Our 
Lord  is  rising  from  the  tomb,  and  bears  in  His  right 
hand  a  bright  banner  on  which  a  cross  is  emblazoned. 
The  face  and  form  are  full  of  calm  dignity  and  grace. 
Beneath  the  risen  Saviour  two  of  the  guards  are  tak- 
ing to  flight,  while  a  third  has  fallen  down  with  fear, 
a  picture  of  abject  helplessness.  An  angel,  bearing  a 
palm  branch,  is  tranquilly  seated  on  the  stone  that  has 


192     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

been  rolled  back  from  the  mouth  of  the  sepulcher,  and 
is  awaiting  the  coming  of  "Mary  Magdalen,  Joanna, 
and  Mary  the  mother  of  James,"  who  are  seen  ap- 
proaching in  the  distance.  This  window  is  the  gift  of 
the  Diocese  of  Buffalo. 

The  subject  of  the  fourth  window  of  the  apse  is 

THE  GIVING  OF  THE  KEYS  TO  ST.  PETER. 

Our  Lord  is  standing,  and  in  the  act  of  addressing  to 
the  Prince  of  the  Apostles  the  words,  "Thou  art  Peter, 
and  I  will  give  to  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  With  His  right  hand  the  Saviour  presents 
the  keys,  and  with  His  left  points  to  heaven,  as  if  to 
remind  Peter  of  the  account  to  be  rendered  there.  The 
Apostle,  kneeling  in  an  attitude  of  deep  humility,  hears 
the  promise  of  the  great  trust  to  be  committed  to  him 
— the  government  of  the  universal  Church. 

Six  other  disciples  are  witnesses  of  the  scene.  In 
the  distance  a  mountain  landscape,  and  on  the  summit 
of  one  are  seen  the  towers  and  battlements  of  a  city, 
an  allusion  to  the  words  "the  kingdom  of  God  is  like  to 
a  city  seated  on  a  mountain."  This  window  is  the  gift 
of  the  Diocese  of  Brooklyn. 

The  fifth  and  last  window  of  the  apse  represents 

JESUS   MEETING  THE  DISCIPLES  GOING  TO  EMMAUS. 

The  risen  Saviour  is  reproaching  the  disciples'  in- 
credulity with  the  words :  "O  foolish  and  slow  of  heart 
to  believe.  Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these 
things,  and  so  to  have  entered  into  His  glory?"  It  is 
the  beginning  of  the  journey,  as  appears  from  the  fact 
that  they  have  just  come  out  of  Jerusalem,  whose  gate, 
walls,  and  battlements  are  seen  near  by.  In  the  dis- 
tance, turning  an  angle  of  the  high-road,  is  seen  a 


OORAVURC    &     COLOR 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     193 

horseman,  with  servant  on  foot.  The  expression  of 
Our  Lord's  face  is  full  of  sweetness,  while  the  counte- 
nances of  the  disciples  are  full  of  tender  remorse  for 
having,  for  a  moment,  wavered  in  their  faith.  This 
window  is  inscribed :   "In  Memoriam  W.  M." 

Space  would  not  permit  us  to  enter  into  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  tracery  of  these  windows,  which  teem  with 
beautifully  executed  figures  of  angels,  and  texts  from 
Scripture.  If  it  be  asked  why  so  much  time  is  spent 
on  details  that  can  not  be  seen,  we  reply  in  the  words 
of  Pugin,  who  was  lavish  of  pains  on  the  least  detail 
of  his  work,  "God  sees  it." 

THE  PRESENTATION  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

In  the  north  chancel  aisle,  the  window  in  the  first 
bay  represents  the  Presentation  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
in  the  Temple.  The  high-priest,  in  rich  vesture,  ad- 
vances to  receive  the  child,  while  St.  Joachim  and  St. 
Anne  modestly  remain  standing  behind.  The  friends 
of  the  family  are  assembled  to  witness  the  ceremony. 
This  bears  the  inscription,  "John  Kelly,  In  Memoriam." 
The  next  is : 

THE  ADORATION  OF  THE  CHILD  JESUS. 

The  shepherds  crowd  around,  some  on  bended  knee ; 
on  the  opposite  side  the  Magi  approach,  bearing  their 
precious  gifts.  This  is  the  gift  of  Thomas  H.  O'Con- 
nor. Finally,  the  Blessed  Virgin  exposes  to  our  ven- 
eration the  Infant  after  His  birth.  The  face  of  the 
Mother  is  admirable.  This  window  is  the  gift  of  Mrs. 
Julia  Coleman. 

THE  DEATH  OF  ST.  JOSEPH. 

Opposite  this  window,  on  the  south  aisle  of  the 
church,  we  come  to  the  "Death  of  St.  Joseph;"  our 


194     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

divine  Lord  is  seen  sitting  near  the  foot  of  the  couch 
upon  which  St.  Joseph  lies  dying.  The  Blessed  Virgin 
is  kneeling  in  prayer  near  the  head ;  on  high  two  angels 
hold  a  scroll,  on  which  is  written,  "Blessed  are  the  dead 
who  die  in  the  Lord."  The  attitude,  the  attire,  the 
coloring  of  this  group,  and  the  beautiful  expression  of 
the  features,  render  it  one  of  the  most  pleasing  win- 
dows of  the  collection.  This  window  is  the  gift  of 
Joseph  Florimond  Loubat. 

ST.  ALPHONSUS,  ST.  TERESA,  ST.  SUSANNA. 

In  the  center  bay  of  the  next  window  we  see  a  life- 
size  figure  of  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori,  vested  in  cope 
and  miter  and  holding  the  monstrance  in  his  hand. 
The  scene  underneath  represents  St.  Alphonsus  mirac- 
ulously giving  speech  to  a  dumb  youth.  The  saint 
holds  a  statue  of  our  blessed  Lady  in  his  hand  and  as 
the  youth  approaches,  asks  him :  "What  is  this  ?"  The 
youth,  speaking  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  answers : 
"A  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin !"  The  surprised  look 
and  attitude  of  the  youth  as  he  stands  before  the  saint, 
and  hears  the  sound  of  his  own  voice,  is  admirably  por- 
trayed in  the  picture.  Beneath  is  the  inscription:  "In 
memory  of  Joseph  Alphonse  Loubat."  The  figure  in 
the  left  hand  bay  represents  St.  Teresa,  one  of  the  great 
mystic  writers  of  the  Church,  whose  wonderful  life  is 
known  to  all.  Underneath :  Our  divine  Lord  appear- 
ing to  the  saint  a  short  time  before  her  death.  This 
bay  is  inscribed :  "In  memory  of  Theresa  Aimee  Lou- 
bat, Countess  of  Comminges  Guitaut."  The  figure  in 
the  right  hand  bay  represents  St.  Susanna,  the  martyr ; 
the  scene  underneath,  the  angel  protecting  Susanna 
from  the  evil  designs  of  Maximian,  the  infidel,  and 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     195 

chosen  heir  to  the  Roman  throne,  to  whom  her  relative, 
the  emperor  Diocletian,  wished  to  wed  her,  for  which 
she  suffered  death,  rather  than  obey  him,  and  break  her 
vows  to  God.     Given  by  Susan  Elizabeth  Loubat. 

ST.  AGNES,  ST.  JAMES,  ST.  THOMAS. 

The  next  window  is  divided  in  the  same  way.  In 
the  center  a  life-size  figure  of  St.  Agnes,  the  virgin 
martyr  of  Rome,  is  seen:  underneath  the  angel  pro- 
tects her  from  the  pagan  and  casts  him,  blinded,  to  the 
ground.  In  the  right  hand  bay  the  Apostle  St.  James 
the  Greater  stands  forth;  the  scene  below  this  figure 
represents  the  Blessed  Virgin  appearing  to  him  at  Sara- 
gossa,  in  Spain,  and  on  the  spot  where  was  built  a 
church  that  is  known  to  the  present  day  as  the  church 
of  the  Pillar  of  St.  Mary,  because  the  Blessed  Virgin 
appeared  to  the  Apostle  on  a  pillar,  which  yet  remains. 
The  figure  in  the  left  hand  bay  is  St.  Thomas,  the 
Apostle.  Underneath  he  is  seen  touching  the  sacred 
wound  in  the  side  of  Our  Lord,  whom  he  would  not 
believe  had  risen  from  the  dead  until  he  would  behold 
Him  himself  and  see  His  wounds.  This  window  is  the 
gift  of  Mrs.  Agnes  Maitland. 

Having  described  the  windows  of  the  sanctuary,  we 
turn  now  to  the  southern  arm  of  the  transept,  where 
we  meet,  first : 

THE  WINDOW  OF  ST.  LOUIS,   KING  OF  FRANCE. 

Here  we  have  presented  to  us  a  memorable  event  in 
the  life  of  that  saint.  He  had  rendered  great  services 
to  Baldwin,  Emperor  of  Constantinople,  and  received 
from  him  in  return  the  gift  of  many  precious  relics  of 
Our  Lord's  Passion.     To  receive  these  sacred  relics 


196     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

worthily,  the  King  built  the  Sainte  Chapelle  of  Paris. 
The  subject,  then,  is  the  solemn  procession  in  which  the 
relics  are  borne  to  their  resting-place.  In  the  fore- 
ground is  seen  the  saint,  bearing  on  a  richly  embroidered 
cushion  the  crown  of  thorns;  on  either  side  walk  two 
prelates,  bearing  each  a  jewelled  casket  containing,  one 
of  them  a  portion  of  the  true  cross,  the  other  the  nails. 
All  three  walk  barefoot,  and  over  them  is  borne  a  rich 
canopy  of  royal  purple,  shot  with  the  golden  fleurs-de- 
lis  of  France.  Behind  the  King  is  seen  Queen  Blanche, 
his  mother,  surrounded  by  nobles  wearing  the  coronets 
distinctive  of  their  rank.  The  artist  has  succeeded  ad- 
mirably in  imparting  to  every  face  an  expression  of 
devout  reverence.  Underneath  is  the  inscription, 
"From  Henry  L.  Hoguet." 
Adjoining  this  is 

THE  WINDOW  OF  THE  SACRED   HEART. 

In  this  scene  Our  Lord  is  standing  on  the  predella  of 
an  altar.  Clouds  encircle  His  feet,  and  cherubs  hover 
around  Him.  Before  Him  Blessed  Margaret  Mary  is 
kneeling,  looking  in  ecstasy  at  the  Heart  of  Jesus,  to 
which  He  points,  an  expression  of  ineffable  tenderness 
lighting  up  His  face.  An  angel  stands  in  the  back- 
ground, holding  a  scroll,  on  which  we  read  the  words : 
"Voila  le  cceur  que  tant  aime  les  hommes" — "Behold 
the  Heart  that  loves  men  so  much."  Behind  Blessed 
Margaret  is  a  nun,  kneeling  at  a  prie  dieu,  reading  at- 
tentively. The  whole  is  a  happy  rendering  of  the  ap- 
parition which  has  given  such  an  impetus  to  the  beau- 
tiful devotion  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  The  window  is 
from  Mrs.  Eleanora  Iselin. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     197 

Passing  next  to  the  north  transept,  we  find  on  the 
same  line,  first: 

ST.  PAUL'S  WINDOW. 

The  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  is  here  seen  preaching 
before  the  sages  of  the  Areopagus.  His  action  is  full 
of  the  well-known  energy  of  St.  Paul's  character.  With 
arms  outstretched  between  heaven  and  his  hearers,  he 
has  startled  the  novelty-loving  Athenians  into  listening, 
by  his  bold  exordium,  "Ye  men  of  Athens,  I  perceive 
that  in  all  things  ye  are  too  superstitious.  For  passing 
by  and  seeing  your  idols,  I  found  an  altar  also  on  which 
was  written:  To  the  unknown  God.  What,  therefore, 
you  worship  without  knowing  it,  that  I  preach  to  you." 
On  the  faces  of  the  venerable  group  before  him  are 
written  all  stages  of  belief,  from  doubt  to  deepest  con- 
viction, as  they  stand  or  sit  in  every  attitude  of  pro- 
found attention.  Prominent  amongst  them  is  seen 
one  on  whose  noble  features  is  stamped  an  expression 
of  faith  and  goodness  which  marks  him  as  no  other 
than  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  the  most  distinguished 
of  the  Athenian  converts,  who,  the  same  tradition  says, 
afterward  preached  the  faith  in  Gaul  and  founded  the 
church  of  Paris.  Viewed  from  an  artistic  standpoint, 
the  heads  of  the  Grecian  elders  are  studies  worthy  of  a 
master,  and  the  whole  scene  is  instinct  with  life.  This 
window  bears  the  inscription:  "To  the  memory  of 
Rev.  John  Kelly,  from  his  brother  Eugene." 

Adjoining  this  is 

THE  WINDOW  OF  ST.  AUGUSTINE  AND  ST.  MONICA. 

St.  Augustine  stands  by  the  death-bed  of  his  mother, 
St.  Monica.     His  head  is  bowed  down  in  sadness  as  he 


198     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

listens  to  the  last  wishes  of  her  who  has  been  to  him 
twice  a  mother.  Her  last  injunction  is,  "My  son,  when 
I  am  dead  lay  this  body  anywhere,  but  remember  me 
always  at  the  altar  of  God."  An  attendant  is  raising 
the  arm  of  the  dying  saint,  with  which  she  seems  about 
to  bless,  for  the  last  time,  her  son.  Around  the  apart- 
ment stand  weeping  friends  and  attendants.  In  the 
distance  is  seen  a  view  of  Ostia-on-the-Tiber  where  the 
saint  died.  This  window  bears  the  inscription :  "From 
Mamie  and  Lina  Caldwell  in  memory  of  their  parents." 

st.  Matthew's  window. 

It  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  north  transept 
door.  A  life-size  figure  of  the  Evangelist,  with  pen  in 
one  hand  and  book  of  his  Gospel  in  the  other,  occupies 
the  central  bay.  Beneath  him  is  the  distinctive  symbol 
of  St.  Matthew,  the  figure  of  an  angel.  The  two  lateral 
bays  are  filled  with  four  scenes  from  the  life  of  the 
saint.  These  are:  1,  St.  Matthew's  vocation,  in  which 
Our  Lord  is  represented  saying  to  him,  "Follow  Me ;" 
2,  he  preaches  the  Gospel  in  Ethiopia;  3,  he  raises  the 
king's  son  from  the  dead;  4,  the  saint's  martyrdom. 
This  window  is  the  gift  of  Andrew  Clarke. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  same  door  we  find 

st.  mark's  window. 
The  figure  of  the  Evangelist,  with  pen  and  book,  the 
winged  lion  of  St.  Mark  reposing  at  his  feet,  fills  the 
central  bay  of  this  window.  Four  scenes  from  the 
saint's  life  fill  the  two  side  bays.  These  are:  1,  writ- 
ing the  Gospel  in  company  with  St.  Peter ;  2,  he  builds 
the  church  of  St.  Peter,  Alexandria;  3,  Our  Lord  ap- 
pears to  him  in  prison;  4,  his  martyrdom.  This  win- 
dow is  the  gift  of  Bernard  Maguire. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     199 

In  the  south  transept,  on  the  west  side  of  the  en- 
trance, is 

ST.  luke's  window. 

Here,  too,  the  central  bay  is  occupied  by  the  figure  of 
the  Evangelist,  with  the  customary  pen  and  book,  and 
beneath  is  the  figure  of  an  ox,  the  emblem  of  St.  Luke. 
The  four  scenes  from  the  life  of  the  saint  that  fill  the 
two  remaining  bays  are:  1,  he  is  writing  his  Gospel 
in  company  with  St.  Paul;  2,  his  preaching  and  con- 
versions in  the  Thebaid;  3,  he  paints  the  portrait  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin ;  4,  his  martyrdom.  This  window  is 
the  gift  of  Denis  J.  Dwyer. 

st.  john's  window 

occupies  the  corresponding  position  on  the  east  side 
of  the  south  transept  door.  The  Evangelist,  holding 
as  usual  the  pen  and  book,  an  eagle,  the  emblem  of  St. 
John,  perched  at  his  feet,  is  the  central  figure  of  this 
window.  The  four  scenes  from  the  saint's  life  are: 
1,  he  is  reposing  on  the  bosom  of  Our  Lord;  2,  he,  in 
company  with  St.  Peter,  cures  the  cripple  at  the  "Beau- 
tiful Gate"  of  the  Temple,  saying:  "In  the  name  of 
Jesus,  arise  and  walk;"  3,  he  converts  the  young  man 
who  had  become  an  outlaw ;  4,  he  is  writing  his  Apoca- 
lypse. This  window  is  the  gift  of  William  Joyce.  The 
above-named  four  windows  are  the  work  of  M.  Ely 
of  Nantes. 

On  the  west  wall  of  the  north  transept  is 

THE  WINDOW  OF  ST.  CHARLES  BORROMEO. 

The  saintly  cardinal,  bearing  a  crucifix,  advances  in 
solemn  procession  from  the  door  of  the  Cathedral  of 


200     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Milan.  Before  him  lie  prostrate  two  victims  of  the 
plague.  One  of  the  figures  is  that  of  a  mother,  to 
whom  clings  a  distracted  child.  It  is  a  most  graphic 
description  of  the  horrors  of  the  plague.  Below  is 
represented  the  scene  of  the  dissolute  monk  firing  at 
the  cardinal,  who  is  conducting  evening  prayer  in  his 
private  chapel.  This  window  is  the  gift  of  Lorenzo 
Delmonico. 

On  the  west  wall  of  the  south  transept  is 

THE   WINDOW  OF  ST.    PATRICK, 

designed  and  presented  by  the  architect.  It  is  of  par- 
ticular interest  on  account  of  the  subjects  introduced. 
St.  Patrick  is  represented  preaching  to  an  assembly  of 
peasants,  whose  faces  are  admirable  types  of  Celtic 
character.  In  the  distance  is  seen  a  primitive  wooden 
church  in  process  of  erection.  The  scene  underneath 
represents  the  architect  James  Renwick  submitting  his 
plan  to  Archbishop  Hughes,  who  is  seated  at  a  table. 
His  Eminence  Cardinal  McCloskey  stands  in  the  fore- 
ground, holding  the  diagram  of  that  part  of  the  build- 
ing which  he  has  altered  from  the  original  plan.  Be- 
hind His  Eminence  stands  M.  Lorin,  the  maker  of  the 
window,  Rev.  John  M.  Farley,  secretary  of  the  Cardi- 
nal, and  a  few  religious,  who  furnished  the  historical 
scenes  that  have  been  so  vividly  realized  in  the  various 
windows  throughout  the  Cathedral.  The  portraits  are 
excellent,  and  so  perfect  are  the  details  that  on  a  port- 
folio resting  against  the  table  may  be  read:  "James 
Renwick,  Esq.,  New  York." 

Turning  now  toward  the  "long  drawn  aisles"  there 
remain  ten  windows  which  merit  a  more  detailed  de- 
scription  than   the   space   allotted   to  us  will   permit. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     201 

However,  owing  to  their  proximity  to  the  spectator, 
their  many,  even  the  least,  beauties  are  within  easy 
view.  Beginning  on  the  north,  or  Gospel  side,  at  the 
angle  of  the  transept,  we  meet  first  with 

st.  Bernard's  window. 

The  scene  here  laid  before  us  is  St.  Bernard  preach- 
ing the  Second  Crusade.  Habited  in  the  simple  white 
robe  of  the  Cistercian  Order,  with  shaven  crown,  the 
cross  uplifted  in  one  hand,  the  other  resting  on  his 
breast  and  his  eyes  raised  to  heaven,  the  figure  of  St. 
Bernard  forms  a  striking  contrast  to  the  group  around 
him.  Mail-clad  warriors  of  every  age,  from  maturity 
upward,  listen  eagerly  to  the  burning  words  of  the 
greatest  preacher  of  his  time.  The  effect  of  the  saint's 
thrilling  eloquence  on  his  hearers  is  seen  in  the  eager 
gestures  of  the  leaders  among  them,  many  of  whom  are 
offering  their  drawn  swords  to  heaven,  as  if  pleading 
to  be  allowed  to  fight  the  battle  of  God.  The  picture 
is  full  of  life,  and  the  treatment  of  this  subject  is  his- 
torically correct.  This  window  is  the  gift  of  the  Dio- 
cese of  Rochester. 

The  subject  of  the  next  window  is 

THE    MARTYRDOM    OF   ST.    LAWRENCE. 

The  figure  of  the  martyr,  on  which  all  the  interest  of 
this  scene  centers,  is  considered  by  all  who  have  seen  it 
a  masterpiece.  The  saint  is  stretched  on  a  gridiron ;  a 
glowing  fire  blazes  beneath  him;  his  Acts  tell  us  that 
"his  face  appeared  to  be  surrounded  with  an  extra- 
ordinary light,  and  his  broiled  body  to  exhale  a  sweet, 
agreeable  smell."  His  eyes  are  turned  toward  the 
cruel  judge  who  directs  the  barbarous  execution,  and 


202     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

to  whom  he  seems  to  say,  with  a  smiling  countenance, 
as  his  Acts  relate:  "Let  my  body  be  now  turned;  one 
side  is  broiled  enough."  The  savage  cruelty  of  the 
judge's  expression  is  in  marked  contrast  to  the  meek- 
ness of  the  martyr's  look.  The  crouching  figure  of 
the  executioner  in  the  foreground,  as  he  plies  his  horrid 
work,  is  a  study.  This  window  is  the  gift  of  the  Dio- 
cese of  Ogdensburg. 
Adjoining  this  is 

THE  WINDOW  OF  THE  BROTHERS  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
SCHOOLS. 

The  scene  represented  here  is  the  Papal  approbation 
of  the  Constitution  of  the  Brothers  of  the  Christian 
Schools,  by  Benedict  XIII.,  January  26,  1725. 

The  Pope  is  seated  on  a  throne,  and  in  the  act  of  re- 
ceiving from  Brother  Timothy,  Superior  General,  a 
volume,  supported  on  a  richly  embroidered  cushion, 
and  containing  the  Rules  of  the  Society.  The  faces  of 
the  assembled  Brothers  are  full  of  intense  anxiety,  as 
the  event  is  for  them  full  of  the  deepest  interest.  Their 
dark  habits  contrast  strikingly  with  the  bright  uniforms 
of  the  members  of  the  Papal  court.  The  window  is 
the  gift  of  the  Christian  Brothers. 

The  next  is  one  of  the  brightest  pictures  in  the  Cathe- 
dral: it  is 

THE  WINDOW  OF  ST.    COLUMBANUS. 

The  subject  of  this  painting  is  briefly  this,  as  related 
in  Cantu's  Universal  History:  Thierry  II.,  King  of 
Burgundy,  led  a  life  that  was  the  scandal  of  his  king- 
dom. He  had  often,  but  to  no  purpose,  been  rebuked 
and  threatened  by  his  own  clergy.     St.  Columbanus, 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     203 

though  a  comparative  stranger,  had  but  a  few  years 
before  migrated  from  Ireland  and  founded  a  monastery 
near  the  palace  of  the  King.  The  latter,  hearing  of  the 
saint's  austerities,  and  wishing  to  be  on  friendly  terms 
with  him,  visited  the  monastery,  bringing  with  him  rich 
presents  of  delicate  viands  and  wine.  In  the  scene 
presented  to  us  the  saint  meets  the  King  at  the  door  of 
the  monastery,  rebukes  him  for  his  scandalous  life,  and 
with  a  blow  strikes  from  the  hand  of  the  attendant  the 
rare  vessel  of  wine,  saying:  "God  rejects  the  gifts  of 
the  wicked,  nor  ought  they  to  pollute  the  lips  of  the 
servant  of  God."  The  King  is  at  once  converted,  be- 
comes contrite,  and  humbly  sues  to  be  reconciled  to  the 
Church.  Behind  the  King  is  seen  the  stately  figure  of 
Brunichilda,  whose  nuptials  had  never  been  blessed  by 
the  Church,  but  who  had  been  to  Thierry  as  Queen. 
She,  having  prayed  the  saint  to  bless  her  offspring,  re- 
ceives for  answer,  "No;  and  of  them  none  shall  ever 
wield  the  scepter  of  his  father,  because  they  are  the 
children  of  sin."  The  proud  woman  is  seen  retreating, 
with  a  gesture  of  reprobation,  toward  her  converted 
husband,  regarding  the  monk  with  a  look  of  intense 
hatred.  The  scene  would  require  pages  to  do  it  justice. 
This  window  is  inscribed :  "In  memory  of  Daniel  Dev- 
lin, from  his  brothers  Jeremiah  and  William."  The 
four  above-named  windows  are  the  work  of  M.  Lorin. 
The  last  in  this,  the  north  aisle,  is 

THE  WINDOW  OF  THE  THREE  BAPTISMS. 

The  three  baptisms  are,  as  termed  in  theology,  the 
baptism  of  water,  the  baptism  of  blood  by  martyrdom, 
and  the  baptism  of  desire  when  no  one  is  near  to  ad- 
minister the  sacrament,  and  the  soul  ardently  desires 


204     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

it.  These  are  the  three  gates  through  some  one  of  which 
all  who  are  to  be  saved,  must  enter  into  the  city  of 
God.  This  window  is  appropriately  placed  near  the 
main  entrance,  and  over  the  chapel  of  the  baptistery. 
In  the  central  bay  is  the  scene  of  Our  Lord's  baptism 
by  St.  John,  the  baptism  of  water;  to  the  right  is  the 
scene  of  a  martyrdom,  and  in  the  left  bay  a  solitary 
reclining  figure  dying  with  a  desire  to  be  baptized,  to 
"be  dissolved  and  be  with  Christ."  This  window  is  the 
gift  of  James  McKenna. 

Crossing  now  to  the  south  aisle  we  first  meet  with 

ST.  VINCENT  DE  PAUl/s  WINDOW. 

In  the  central  division  of  this  window  stands  a  life- 
size  figure  of  the  saint,  habited  in  stole  and  surplice. 
The  expression  on  his  benign  countenance  is  all  we 
would  look  for  on  the  face  of  the  messenger  of  charity. 
The  two  scenes  in  the  lateral  bays  give  the  two  grand 
features  of  his  life — his  devotion  to  homeless  children 
and  to  the  worst  class  of  criminals.  On  the  right  hand 
the  saint  is  represented  calmly  seated  whilst  the  ball- 
and-chain  of  a  galley-slave  is  made  fast  to  his  foot. 
The  prisoner  whose  punishment  the  holy  man  has  taken 
on  him  is  seen  going  on  his  way  rejoicing.  On  the  left 
St.  Vincent  is  holding  an  infant  in  his  arms,  while  he 
directs  the  attention  of  a  Sister  of  Charity  to  another 
little  waif  asleep  on  the  pavement.  This  window  is  the 
gift  of  James  Olwell.  The  two  last-mentioned  win- 
dows are  from  the  studio  of  M.  Ely  of  Nantes. 

We  next  come  to 

THE  WINDOW  OF  ST.   ELIZABETH,   ST.   ANDREW,  AND  ST. 
CATHERINE. 

The  three  bays  of  this  window  are  filled,  each  with 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     205 

an  admirably  executed  life-size  figure  of  one  of  these 
saints.  St.  Andrew  the  Apostle  holds  the  place  of 
honor  in  the  center.  He  is  represented  as  if  in  the  act 
of  taking  upon  him  the  cross  on  which  he,  like  St. 
Peter,  had  the  glory  of  receiving  the  martyr's  crown. 
The  expression  on  his  furrowed  features  is  one  of  calm 
courage,  which  seems  to  come  to  him  from  heaven,  on 
which  his  uplifted  eyes  are  fixed.  Beneath  him  is  a 
finished  miniature,  if  we  may  be  allowed  to  so  name 
anything  so  large,  representing  the  scene  of  the  martyr's 
execution.  The  same  face  is  recognizable  in  this  as 
that  of  the  larger  figure  above,  notwithstanding  the 
difference  of  dimensions.  In  the  right  compartment 
of  the  window  is  the  figure  of  St.  Catherine  of  Alex- 
andria, martyr.  She  holds  in  one  hand  the  palm  branch 
of  victory,  and  with  the  other  leans  on  a  wheel,  the 
instrument  of  her  cruel  torture  and  glorious  death. 
Beneath  is  a  beautiful  and  graphic  rendering  of  the 
espousals  of  St.  Catherine  to  Our  Lord,  which  Rubens 
has  made  so  memorable.  The  Infant  Jesus  is  seated 
on  the  lap  of  His  Virgin  Mother,  and,  smiling  sweetly, 
places  a  ring  on  the  finger  of  the  saint,  who  is  kneeling 
at  the  feet  of  the  Virgin.  This  reward  the  saint  re- 
ceived in  a  vision,  after  having  vowed  her  virginity  to 
Christ.  In  the  left  bay  is  a  figure  of  equal  size  with 
the  others — of  St.  Elizabeth,  Queen  of  Hungary.  Her 
eyes  are  cast  down,  looking  in  wonder  at  the  miracle 
God  has  performed  in  her  behalf.  The  object  of  her 
regard  is  a  bouquet  of  exquisite  flowers,  which  she 
holds  in  the  folds  of  her  mantle.  Beneath  the  figure 
is  the  explanation.  St.  Elizabeth,  who  loves  the  good 
poor  exceedingly,  is  here  represented,  after  the  true 
history,  as  told  in  her  life  by  Montalembert,  as  carrying 


206     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

bread  to  some  of  her  clients,  when  she  is  met  by  her 
husband,  who  has  had  unjust  suspicions.  He  insists  on 
seeing  what  his  spouse  carries  so  carefully  concealed; 
she  unfolds  her  mantle,  when  lo !  the  bread  has  turned 
to  flowers.  This  was  heaven's  approbation  of  the  saint's 
charity  and  rebuke  to  her  husband.  This  window  is  in- 
scribed, "From  the  family  of  J.  A.  and  Eliza  O'Reilly." 
The  adjoining  window  is  regarded  by  all  as  one  of 
the  chastest  designs  in  the  Cathedral;  its  subject  is 

THE  ANNUNCIATION. 

The  Blessed  Virgin  is  here  represented  kneeling :  her 
countenance  does  not  betray  a  shadow  of  surprise  at 
the  appearance  of  her  angelic  visitor,  who,  with  a  look 
of  profound  respect,  is  in  the  act  of  delivering  the  mes- 
sage which  has  brought  so  much  "Glory  to  God  on  high 
and  peace  on  earth  to  men."  The  interior  of  the  house 
of  Nazareth  is  evidently  copied  in  all  its  details  from 
the  Holy  House  of  Loretto,  as  any  one  who  has  seen 
the  latter  will  at  once  recognize.  Through  the  door, 
which  is  partially  concealed  by  a  half -drawn  curtain,  is 
seen  St.  Joseph  in  his  carpenter  shop,  discussing,  doubt- 
less, the  details  of  some  little  household  improvement 
pertaining  to  his  trade,  with  an  elderly  female.  The 
same  peace  and  silence  appear  to  reign  over  the  simple 
scene  without,  as  over  the  momentous  one  taking  place 
within  between  God's  messenger  and  God's  Mother 
soon  to  be.  The  position  this  window  occupies  throws 
it  out  in  greater  relief,  and  lends  it  new  attraction,  as 
the  visitor  will  at  once  realize  when,  passing  from  the 
turbulent  field  of  battle,  his  eye  rests  on  the  peaceful 
home  of  Nazareth.  This  window  is  the  gift  of  William 
and  John  O'Brien. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     207 

We  next  come  to 

st.  henry's  window. 

This  is  a  battle-piece  that,  it  has  been  said,  would  do 
honor  to  the  Louvre.  The  subject  of  the  window  is 
the  battle  fought  by  St.  Henry,  Emperor  of  Germany, 
with  the  Slavonians,  who  had  risen  up  against  the 
ecclesiastical  authorities,  put  to  death  priests,  drove 
bishops  from  their  sees,  and  generally  laid  waste  the 
fair  land  of  Poland.  The  aid  of  the  Emperor  was  in- 
voked, who,  ever  willing  to  raise  his  arm  in  the  cause 
of  God,  went  to  the  assistance  of  the  distressed.  The 
enemy  outnumbered  the  Emperor's  troops  by  thou- 
sands. The  saint,  however,  did  not  lose  heart.  He 
heard  Mass  early  in  the  morning,  at  which  all  his  troops 
devoutly  assisted,  and,  invoking  the  blessing  of  the 
God  of  battles  on  his  arms,  went  forth  fearlessly  to 
victory.  That  no  assurance  of  triumph  might  be  want- 
ing to  him,  God  vouchsafed  to  reveal  to  him  the  pres- 
ence, in  the  field,  of  St.  Lawrence,  St.  Adrian,  and  St. 
George,  fighting  on  the  side  of  the  Emperor.  This 
painting  needs  no  comment.  It  is  instinct  with  life  and 
"movement,"  as  artists  say.  This  window  is  the  gift 
of  Henry  J.  Anderson. 

The  last  window  that  remains  for  us  to  speak  of  is 

THE  WINDOW  OF  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION. 

The  scene  which  this  window  portrays  is  the  mem- 
orable one  which  took  place  in  Rome  in  the  year  1854, 
when  the  beloved  Pontiff,  Pius  IX.,  proclaimed  to 
the  world  the  dogma  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 
The  Sovereign  Pontiff  is  standing  on  his  throne  after 
having  proclaimed  the  dogma,  urbi  et  orbi,  and  in  the 


208    DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

act  of  giving  the  apostolic  benediction,  while  he  holds 
in  his  left  hand  the  decree  of  the  dogma.  The  well- 
known,  benign  features  of  the  lamented  Pius  are  easily 
recognized.  The  surrounding  group  is  a  good  repre- 
sentation of  the  Church.  Here  we  have  cardinals, 
patriarchs,  bishops,  prelates,  priests,  and  religious  of 
several  Orders  in  the  distinctive  habits  of  their  congre- 
gations. The  bright  costumes  of  the  Papal  household 
troops  give  additional  animation  to  the  scene.  Above 
the  head  of  the  Pope  is  a  figure  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception. The  statues  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul,  on  either 
side,  will  be  recognized  by  all  who  have  seen  the  origi- 
nals as  admirable  reproductions  of  the  two  magnificent 
statues  of  the  Apostles  that  stand  guardians  of  the  en- 
trance to  St.  Peter's,  Rome.  This  window  is  the  gift 
of  the  Diocese  of  Newark. 


ALTAR        OF     ST.    AUGUSTLNE 


CHAPTER  V. 

Description  of  the  New  Cathedral. 

(Continued.) 

The  Statues. — The  Chapels. — The  Paintings. 
— The  Chimes. — The  Organs. — Lighting. — Heat- 
ing.— Ventilation. 

The  Statues. 

The  statues  in  the  north  transept  are  the  gifts  of 
Mrs.  Joseph  W.  Drexel.  West  of  the  portal  in  the 
upper  tier  is  St.  Dominic,  the  founder  of  the  Dominican 
Order.  East  of  the  portal  is  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  the 
greatest  Doctor  of  the  Church.  In  the  lower  tier  are 
the  four  great  Fathers  of  the  Eastern  Church,  St. 
Athanasius,  St.  Gregory  Nazianzen,  St.  Basil  the 
Great,  and  St.  John  Chrysostom.  These  four  statues 
in  the  lower  tier  were  made  by  J.  Massey  Rhind.* 

In  the  upper  tier  of  the  south  transept  we  have,  east 
of  the  portal,  St.  Gregory  the  Great  and  St.  Francis  de 
Sales;  west  of  the  portal  are  St.  Ambrose  and  St. 
Jerome.  In  the  lower  tier,  east  of  the  portal  are  St. 
Anselm  and  St.  Bernard;  west  of  the  portal  are  St. 
Bona  venture,  the  great  Doctor  of  the  Franciscan  Order, 
and  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori,  founder  of  the  Congrega- 
tion of  the  Most  Holy  Redeemer.  The  statue  of  St. 
Alphonsus  was  donated  by  the  Redemptorist  Fathers; 
the    estate    of    St.    Bonaventure    by    the    Franciscan 

*  New  doors  of  bronze  have  just  been  set  in  the  north  and  south 
transepts.  The  design,  by  Thomas  H.  Poole,  is  elaborately  worked  out 
in  harmony  with  the  Gothic  lines  and  ornamentation  of  the  Cathedral. 
The  panels  of  the  base  bear  the  arms  of  the  four  Archbishops  of  New 
York.     The  doors  were  executed  by  Paul  E.   Cabaret. 


210     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Fathers.  The  other  statues  are  the  gifts  of  Mrs.  Joseph 
W.  Drexel.  Mr.  Sibbel  made  the  four  statues  in  the 
lower  niches,  and  installed  them  in  April,  1903.  The 
statue  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales  was  placed  on  August  8, 
1891;  that  of  St.  Ambrose  on  August  11,  1891.  All 
the  statues  are  of  Carrara  marble. 

The  massive  pair  of  Benediction  lights  on  either  side 
of  the  sanctuary  were  given  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
C.  Moore  in  memory  of  Mrs.  Moore's  father,  Louis  de 
Bebian. 

The  chapel  at  the  beginning  of  the  north  aisle  is  used 
as  a  baptistery  for  the  present.  Adjoining  is  the  Cole- 
man chapel,  erected  by  James  S.  Coleman  in  memory 
of  the  deceased  members  of  the  Coleman  family.  The 
altar  is  dedicated  to  St.  Bernard  and  St.  Bridget,  and 
is  a  unique  as  well  as  an  artistic  ornament  to  the  inte- 
rior of  the  Cathedral.  The  background  to  the  altar  is  a 
perfect  reproduction  of  the  doorway  of  St.  Bernard's 
chapel,  Mellifont,  County  Louth,  Ireland,  built  A.D. 
1142. 

About  three  miles  from  Mellifont  monastery  was 
situated  the  ancient  monastery  of  Clonmacnoise,  which, 
for  a  long  time,  was  the  most  celebrated  religious  com- 
munity in  Ireland,  and  distinguished  as  the  chief  school 
of  art  and  learning  in  that  country.  The  abbot  be- 
longed to  the  family  whose  territory  lay  in  the  County 
Louth.  The  monastery  was  erected  in  the  early  part 
of  the  tenth  century  by  the  Abbot  Coleman,  who  died, 
according  to  the  Four  Masters,  in  A.D.  924. 

The  cross  in  the  center  panel  of  the  communion  table 
is  an  exact  reproduction,  on  a  smaller  scale,  of  the 
cross  of  the  scriptures  at  Clonmacnoise.  The  original 
is  about  eleven  feet  high.       About  three  miles  from 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     211 

Mellifont,  as  above  noted,  was  the  ancient  monastery 
erected  by  St.  Boyne  in  the  tenth  century,  and  the 
famous  cross,  elegant  in  its  details  and  ornaments,  its 
fillets  and  tracery,  and  its  scroll  work  of  the  tenth  cen- 
tury, has  been  exactly  reproduced,  on  a  small  scale,  on 
its  obverse  and  reverse  on  the  outside  -panels  of  the 
communion  table.  Other  crosses  at  the  sides  of  the 
communion  table  represent  other  abbots  of  the  family 
of  Coleman  at  Mellifont. 

Great  attention  was  paid  to  the  marbles  used  in  the 
chapel ;  the  arch  and  the  fascia,  the  canopies  and  their 
pedestals  are  of  Eschallion.  The  marble  of  the  green 
columns  is  known  as  Verde  Calabrese.  The  yellow 
marble  in  the  panels  under  the  grilles,  and  in  the  panels 
of  the  altar  proper,  is  from  the  celebrated  quarries  of 
the  nuns  of  the  Societa  Santa  Maria  Maddelena  near 
Sienna,  and  such  is  its  value  that  the  product  of  these 
quarries  is  sold  by  weight. 

The  altar  marble  is  called  Beluglia,  and  the  crosses 
are  from  Crestaline.  The  plinths  and  margins  of  the 
predella  are  made  from  flowered  Bardiglia.  The 
ashlar  work  is  called  penumbria,  and  the  small  columns 
are  in  Mexican  green  onyx.  Even  the  flooring  retains 
the  Celtic  character,  in  a  ribbon  border  to  the  Bardiglia 
being  shown  as  a  shamrock,  and  this  same  emblem  of 
Ireland  is  also  fashioned  in  the  bronze  gates. 

To  reproduce  these  details  suitable  to  a  metropolitan 
Cathedral,  required  great  time,  preparation,  and  study, 
and  the  consultation  of  many  works  of  learned  authors 
who  have  written  on  the  antiquities  of  Ireland,  besides 
a  visit  by  Mr.  Coleman  to  the  site  of  the  original  mon- 
astery at  Mellifont.  The  architect  entrusted  with  the 
work  was  Mr.  Henry  Glentworth  Wynn ;  the  sculpture 


212     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

was  executed  by  Draddy  Brothers.  The  altar  was  con- 
secrated May  30,  1903,  by  Archbishop  Farley. 

The  St.  de  la  Salle  chapel,  the  gift  of  the  Brothers 
of  the  Christian  Schools,  is  dedicated  to  their  founder, 
and  is  appropriately  placed  beneath  the  beautiful  win- 
dow donated  to  the  Cathedral  by  the  Brothers.  The 
altar  is  Gothic.  The  various  kinds  of  marble  used  in 
the  construction  are  known  as  the  Eschallion  Blanc, 
from  the  south  of  France,  for  the  reredos ;  the  Blanc  P. 
Italian  for  the  panels ;  Mexican  onyx  for  the  columns ; 
the  best  of  Carrara  for  the  statue  of  St.  de  la  Salle; 
beautiful  Tennessee  varieties  for  the  walls  and  floor, 
and  the  variety  called  Ravaccine,  from  Italy,  for  all 
the  other  parts  of  the  altar.  One  of  the  panels  repre- 
sents St.  de  la  Salle  distributing  alms  to  the  poor ;  the 
title  of  this  panel  is  "The  Corporal  Works  of  Mercy;" 
the  other  represents  the  saint  teaching,  entitled  "The 
Spiritual  Works  of  Mercy."  The  panel  below  the 
altar  table  represents  the  saint  on  his  death-bed  sur- 
rounded by  Brothers,  and  the  boy  kneeling  at  the  bed- 
side speaks  of  the  saint's  great  love  for  youth.  The 
statue  is  original,  and  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  church  of  St. 
John  Baptist  at  Rheims,  this  is  the  first  altar  erected 
in  honor  of  the  saint  in  a  public  church.  The  sug- 
gestions and  general  designs  of  the  altar  were  fur- 
nished by  the  Brothers  themselves.  The  construction 
and  sculpture  were  all  done  in  New  York  City  by  D. 
Borgia.  The  altar  was  consecrated  November  10, 
1900,  by  Archbishop  Corrigan. 

The  next  chapel  is  dedicated  to  St.  Augustine,  the 
great  Bishop  of  Hippo,  and  is  the  gift  of  Augustine 
Daly.     The  altar  is  of  Carrara  marble  with  decora- 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     213 

tions  of  Mexican  onyx  and  Sienna  marble.  The  statue 
represents  the  saint  holding  in  his  hand  a  heart  as  the 
symbol  of  his  great  tenderness  and  wonderful  insight 
into  the  depths  of  the  human  heart.  "Never  did  man 
unite  in  one  and  the  same  soul  such  stern  rigor  of  logic 
with  such  tenderness  of  heart."*  The  panels  repre- 
sent the  baptism  of  Augustine  by  St.  Ambrose,  Bishop 
of  Milan,  and  the  meeting  between  the  saint,  who  was 
meditating  on  the  Holy  Trinity,  and  a  child  trying  with 
a  shell  to  empty  the  ocean  into  a  small  hole  in  the 
ground.  When  asked  why  he  was  attempting  such  an 
impossible  task,  the  child  replied  that  it  was  not  so  im- 
possible as  Augustine's  effort  to  fathom  the  mystery 
of  the  Holy  Trinity.  Archbishop  Corrigan  consecrated 
the  altar  January  5,  1895. 

The  altar  of  the  Holy  Face  in  the  chapel  of  St. 
Veronica  is  the  gift  of  Daniel  Daly,  of  Brooklyn,  the 
father  of  the  Rev.  W.  J.  B.  Daly,  for  many  years  an 
assistant  at  the  Cathedral.  The  altar  is  built  of  Car- 
rara marble,  trimmed  with  Pratrana  onyx  from  Mex- 
ico. A  mosaic  picture,  representing  the  Holy  Face,  is 
the  chief  adornment  of  the  altar.  The  sanctuary  floor 
and  the  steps  leading  to  the  altar  are  of  Italian  marble. 
The  top  of  the  communion  rail  is  of  St.  Baume  marble, 
and  is  supported  by  fifteen  onyx  columns,  surmounted 
with  marble  capitals.  The  altar  was  consecrated  by 
Archbishop  Corrigan  on  February  4,  1891. 

The  beautiful  holy  water  well  at  the  beginning  of  the 
south  aisle  is  the  gift  of  Joseph  Rutledge,  for  many 
years  the  verger  of  the  Cathedral.  The  well  is  of  pure 
Carrara  marble,  and  was  designed  by  Renwick,  Aspin- 

*  Mgr.    Bougaud. 


214     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

wall  &  Owen.     The  work  was  executed  by  Draddy 
Brothers  in  1898. 

The  chapel  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua  is  the  gift  of 
Mrs.  Joseph  A.  Donohoe,  of  San  Francisco.  In  the 
center  is  a  relief  of  St.  Anthony  caressing  the  divine 
Infant.  The  altar  is  carved  in  marbles  of  Carrara  and 
Sienna.  Flanking  the  relief  are  statues  of  St.  Anne 
and  St.  Monica.  The  altar  was  consecrated  by  Arch- 
bishop Corrigan  on  November  4,  1894.  The  design 
is  by  James  Renwick,  the  execution  by  Draddy 
Brothers. 

The  chapel  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  is  a  memorial 
erected  by  Archbishop  Corrigan  to  his  predecessors — 
John  Connolly,  John  Dubois,  John  Hughes,  and  John 
McCloskey.  St.  John  is  represented  holding  a  chalice 
with  a  serpent  coming  out  of  the  cup:  this  symbol 
alludes  to  the  poisoned  cup  given  to  St.  John  to  drink, 
over  which  he  first  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  the 
poison  came  forth  under  the  form  of  a  serpent.  The 
eagle  is  at  his  feet,  and  recalls  that  St.  John  soared 
higher  on  the  wings  of  divine  inspiration  than  any  of 
the  other  Apostles.  The  statue  is  of  white  Carrara 
marble,  the  altar  of  dark  Sienna  marble.  It  was  de- 
signed by  Renwick  and  built  by  Draddy  Brothers. 
Archbishop  Corrigan  consecrated  the  altar  May  6, 1894. 

The  next  chapel  is  dedicated  to  St.  Stanislaus 
Kostka,  and  is  the  gift  of  Miss  Rose  Rigney,  in 
memory  of  her  brother,  the  Rev.  P.  S.  Rigney,  who 
was  an  assistant  in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  this  city.  The 
altar  was  consecrated  by  Archbishop  Corrigan  on  June 
3,  1896,  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  dead 
priest's  ordination.  It  was  designed  and  built  by  Peter 
Theis. 


ALTAR        OF     TME       H  O  L.Y        FAC 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     215 
THE   PAINTINGS. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  west  portal  is  a  beautiful 
copy  of  Raphael's  "Transfiguration."  The  Saviour  is 
transfigured  between  Moses  and  Elias,  who  represent 
the  Law  and  the  Prophets ;  Peter,  James,  and  John  lie 
prostrated  by  the  dazzling  light.  To  the  left  are  St. 
Lawrence  and  St.  Stephen  in  an  attitude  of  adoration. 
In  the  lower  part,  the  disciples  are  being  urged  to  cure 
a  possessed  boy.  This  painting,  together  with  the  copy 
of  the  "Sistine  Madonna,"  north  of  the  west  portal, 
were  donated  by  the  Hon.  John  Kelly. 

The  "Flight  into  Egypt"  by  Pedro  de  Moya  (1610- 
1666)  and  the  "Doubting  Thomas,"  are  the  gifts  of  the 
Hon.  John  D.  Crimmins.  The  "Baptism  of  Our  Lord," 
over  the  baptismal  font,  and  the  "Marriage  Feast  of 
Cana,"  behind  the  holy  water  well,  as  well  as  the 
"Return  of  the  Prodigal  Son,"  and  the  "St.  Patrick 
Preaching  at  Tara,"  were  presented  by  the  Hon.  John 
Kelly.  The  copy  of  the  celebrated  "Madonna  del 
Sacco"  painted  by  Andrea  del  Sarto  in  the  church  of 
the  Servi,  Florence,  is  the  gift  of  Miss  Rebecca  Taft, 
New  York.  The  "Tripartite,"  or  three-part  painting 
that  hangs  in  the  second  bay  of  the  north  chancel  aisle 
is  the  gift  of  Mr.  J.  F.  Loubat. 

THE  CHIMES. 

The  Cathedral  possesses  the  finest  set  of  chimes  in 
the  United  States.  Nineteen  bells  constitute  the  set, 
and  they  were  donated  by  parishioners  and  friends  of 
the  Cathedral.  These  bells  hang  in  the  northern  spire 
of  the  Cathedral,  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  above 
ground.  They  ring  the  Angelus  daily  at  8  A.M.,  12  M., 
and  6  P.M.     On  Sundays,  as  well  as  on  important 


216     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 


feast-days  or  national  holidays,  appropriate  hymns  or 
anthems  are  played.  The  names  of  the  bells  with  their 
respective  donors  are : 


,3260 
,2693 
,2319 
1956 
,1357 


Name  of  Bell 

1  St.  Patrick    B  fl 

Donors,  Cathedral  Parishioners. 

2  Blessed  Virgin C   4625.5 

Donor,  Jno.  B.  Manning. 

3  St.  Joseph    D  .. 

Donor,  Jos.  J.  O'Donohue. 

4  Holy  Name E  fi 

Donors,  Holy  Name  Societies. 

5  St.  Michael    E  .. 

Donor,  Mich.  S.  Coleman. 

6  St.  Anne F  .. 

Donor,  Henry  McAleenan. 

7  St.  Elizabeth G  .. 

Donor,  Marquise  de  San  Marzano. 

8  St.  Augustine A  fl 1162.7 

Donor,  Augustine  Daly. 

9  St.  Anthony  of  Padua... A 971.13 

Donated  in  Memory  of  Edw.  Fox. 

10  St.  Agnes    B  fl 802 

Donated  in  Memory  of  Jas.  Ed.  Fox. 

11  St.  John  the  Evangelist. B  667.7 

Donor,  John  D.  Crimmins. 

12  St.  Bridget   C  574 

Donated  in  Memory  of  Aloysia  Miniter. 

13  St.  Francis  Xavier C  sh 476.3 

Donors,  The  Catholic  Club. 

14  St.  Peter D 401.5 

Donor,  Geo.  B.  Coleman. 

15  St.  Cecilia E  fl 345 

Donor,  Mrs.  Thos.  F.  Ryan. 

16  St.  Helena  E 286 

Donor,  Eleonora  Keyes. 

17  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori.  .F 240.9 

Donor,  Maria  A.  Mills. 


Weight  of    Weight  of 
Tone      Bell  (lbs.)  Clapper  (lbs.) 

6608   ....350 
.258.5 
.183 
.  143.9 
.  128.7 
.  108.5 
.  82 
.  73.3 
.  58.3 
.  48 
.  43 
.  34.4 
.  29 
.  26.3 
.  21.1 
.  18.9 
.  17.3 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     217 

Weight  of     Weight  of 
Name  of  Bell  Tone      Bell  (lbs.)  Clapper  (lbs.) 

18  St.  Thomas  Aquinas. .  ..F  sh..  . .   204      ....    14.3 

Donor,  Thos.  Kelly. 

19  St.  Godfrey G 173      ....   13.8 

Donated  in  Memory  of  Jno.  and  Mary  Koop. 

The  chimes  were  made  by  Paccar  d,  of  Annecy, 
Savoie,  France.  They  were  blessed  August  15,  1897, 
by  Archbishop  Corrigan.  Each  bell  bears  an  appropri- 
ate inscription  in  Latin  verse  and  the  name  of  the 
donor.  The  Latin  verses  were  composed  by  the  Rev. 
Philip  Cardella,  SJ.  The  English  translation  is  by 
Michael  J.  A.  McCaffery,  LL.D. 

The  Bells. 

Cives  •  et  •  advenae  O   Citizens,    O    Strangers,    Hear! 

Dociles  •  lubentes  Lend    willing    heart    no    less    than 

Audite  .  et  •  ab  •  alienis  •  dignoscite  willing   ear ! 

Fidissimos  •  amicos  .  vestros  From  false  discern  the  true, 

Vobis  .  a  •  numine  .  de  •  coelo  •  The  faithful  friends  God-sent  from 

missos  heaven  to  you; 

Morum  .  religionis  .  felicitatis  Trusty  heralds  we 

Veraces  •  praecones  Of      true     religion,      morals,      and 

felicity. 

St.  Patrick's  Bell. 

Vester  •  Patritius  .  ego  Your  Patrick  I ; 

Sicut .  patres  •  vestri .  ita  •  et  •  vos  As  your  sires,  so  also  ye 

Manete  •  usque  Ever  be 

Mei  .  imitatores  .  aemulatores  Emulators,   imitators  of  me. 

— Ex  stipe   collata   a  parochianis  — From  the  Cathedral  Parishioners. 
Ecclesiae   Cathedralis. 

Our  Lady's  Bell. 

Ave  •  Maria 
Mater  .  Dei .  Domina  .  nostra  Hail  Mary, 

Suspiciant  •  te  •  beatamque  .  dicant         Mother  of  God,  Our  Lady  blest ! 
Omnes  •  gentes  •  tribus  •  et  •  linguae  With    glad    acclaim 

— Sumptibus  Joannis  B.  Manning.     Let    all    the    nations,    tribes,     and 

tongues  attest 
That  ever  blest  shall  be  thy  name. 
— Gift  of  John  B.  Manning. 


218     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 
St.  Joseph's  Bell. 

Josephus  .  Nazarethanae    familiae  •  Joseph, 

caput  Once    head    of    that    most    humble 

Universalis  .  ecclesiae  .  familiae  •  home 

Christi  And  Holy  Family  of  Nazareth, 

Rite  •  dictus  .  patronus  Now,   gloriously  become 

Prae  •  omnibus  •  coelicolis  •  post  •        The  Patron  of  the  household  of  the 
ejus  •  virginem  •  sponsam  faith, 

Honoribus  •  cumulandus  By  holy  Church,  in  grateful  homage 

— Munificentia  Josephi  J.  O'Dono-  named, 

hue.  By  holy  Church,  with  reverent  rite 

proclaimed; 

To  thee  be  shown 

Not    earth's   alone 

But  heaven's  highest  honors  next  to 

Mary's   own. 

— Gift  of  Joseph  J.  O'Donohue. 

Bell  of  the  Holy  Name. 

Jesus  •  mihi  .  noraen  Jesus,   my  Holy  Name, 

Qvod  •  est  •  super  •  omne  .  nomen  All  other  names  above; 

Et  •  non  •  est  •  in  .  alio  •  aliquo  •  salus  Whose  saving  power  and  love 

— Sodales     Sanctissimi     Nominis         No  other  name  may  claim. 
Totius  Civitatis.  — The  Socialists  of  the  Holy  Name 

throughout  the  city. 

St.  Michael's  Bell. 

Michael  Michael, 

Princeps  .militiae  .  coelestis  Prince  of  all   the  hosts  of  heaven, 

Cum  .  coeteris  •  animabus  Among  the  souls  whom  God  to  thee 

Quibus  •  Dei  •  nutv  .  praees  has  given 

Perdue  .  in  .  paradisum  .  exultationis  To    guide   and   guard, 

— Sumptibus  Michaelis  S.  Coleman.  Be  also  ours  within  thy  watch  and 

ward; 

And  when  this  earthly  life  is  past 

Conduct  us  all  to  heavenly  joys  at 

last. 

— Gift   of  Michael  S.   Coleman. 

St.  Anne's  Bell. 

Anna  •  vocor  The  holy  Anna's  name  bear  I, 

Mea  •  filia  •  est  Whose  lowly  child 

Dei .  genitrix  .  virgo  .  Maria  Is  Mary  mild, 

Mater  •  vestra  •  tenerrima  The    Virgin    Mother    of    the    Lord 

— Pecuniis  Henrici  McAleenan.  most  high: 

With  purest  mother-love  will  she 
Love  you  most  tenderly. 
— Gift  of  Henry  McAleenan. 


ALTAR         or    ST.     ANTHONY     OF       PADUA 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     219 


St.  Elizabeth's  Bell. 

Elizabeth  Elizabeth, 

Dignissima  .  mater  .  Joannis  Most  worthy  mother  of  the  Baptist 

Clamantis  •  adhuc  John, 

Omnis  •  arbor  Who     calls,     across     the     centuries 

Quae  •  non  •  facit .  fructum  .  bonum  gone, 

In  •  ignem  .  mittetur  To    these    our   days,    with   warning 

— Dono    dedit   Marchionissa   San  tone: 

Marzano.  "The  tree  that  good  fruit  does  not 

bear 
Shall  into  flames  consuming  fare." 
— Gift  of  the  Marquise  San  Mar- 
zano. 

St.  Augustine's  Bell. 


Quicumque  •  a  •  veritate  .  extorres  • 

estis 

Augustinum  .  Hipponensem 

Praeclarissimum  .  ingenium 

Gratiae  •  Christi  •  miraculum 

Admiramini  •  imitamini 

— Ex  dono  Augustini  Daly. 


Ye  who  now  wander  far  astray 

In  error's  way, 

With     great     Augustine     all     your 

steps  retrace — 

Whose  glorious   soul,   regenerate, 

Shone   forth,   a   marvel   of   Christ's 

saving  grace; 

Admire  and  imitate. 

— Gift  of  Augustine  Daly. 


Bell  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua. 


Antonius  •  a  •  Padua 

Eximie  •  carus  .  Deo  .  et  •  hominibus 

Quis  .  te  •  non  .  invocat 

Quis  .  te  .  non  •  diligit 

— In   memoriam   mariti   carissimi 


Anthony  of  Padua 

Who  shall  tell 

How  loved  thou  wert,  on  earth,  of 

God  and  men? 

And  shall  not  now,  as  then, 


Eduardi   Fox,    Lydia    vidua   incon-    Thy  name  be  on  men's  lips  and  in 


solabilis. 


their  hearts   as  well? 
— In  memory  of  her  beloved  hus- 
band, Edward  Fox,   by  his  discon- 
solate  widow,   Lydia. 


Bell  of  St.  Agnes. 


Ego  .  Agnes  .  adolescentula 

Agnum  .  magna  •  cura  •  enutrivi 

Ex  •  cujus  .  vellere  .  pallium  •  ipsa  . 

contexui 

Pro  .  archiep  .  Neo-Ebor  .  Michaele  . 

Augustino 


I,  little  Agnes,  come 

From  far-off  Rome; 

There   mine    the    pleasant   care 

A  chosen  snow-white  lamb  to  tend, 

That  was  one  day  its  fleece  to  lend 

To  make  the  pallium  sootless  fair 

For  Michael   Augustine, 

Your    loved    Archbishop     of     New 

York,  to  wear; 

Of   Catholic    education    champion 

bold, 

And  watchful  shepherd  he 


220     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 


Catholicae  .  institutionis  •  adolescen- 

tium 

Adsertore  •  propugnatore  •  vindice 

— In  memoriam  filii  Jacobi  Eduardi 

Lydia  Fox,  mater. 


Of   all   your   children — lambkins    of 

his  fold — 

To    guard    their    tender    youth    in 

faith  and  piety. 

— In    memory    of    James    Edward 

Fox  by  Lydia,  his  mother. 


Bell  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist. 


Johannes 

Qui  •  super  .  pectus  .  Domini .  Jesu 

Recubuisti 

Investigabiles  •  divitias  •  cordis  .  ejus 

Omnibus  .  Neo  •  Eboracensibus 

Omnibus  .Americanis 

Volens  .  Iubens 

Resera  •  pande 

— Ex  dono  Johannis  D.  Crimmins. 


Beloved  Apostle  John, 
Thou    who,    upon    His    breast    re- 
clining, 
Didst  hear  the  very  heart-throbs  of 
the  Lord; 
O  teach,  with  sweet,  persuasive 
word, 
To    all    within    our    city's    crowded 

mart, 
Ay,  and  to  all  throughout  our  dear- 
loved  land, 
What    treasures — all    for    them    at 
their  demand — 
His  Sacred  Heart 
Is  longingly  enshrining. 
— Gift  of  John  D.  Crimmins. 


Me  .  Brigidam  .  Hibernam 

Nemo  .  despiciat 

Coelo  •  recepta 

Principem  .  inter  •  Hibernas  •  vir- 

gines 

Locum  .  teneo 

Beati .  mundo  .  corde 

Nil  •  apud  .  superos 

Castitate  •  carius  .  nil .  pulchrius 

— Dederunt  Perry  J.   Miniter  e\ 

Catharina  uxor  in  memoriam  dilec- 

tissimae  filiae  Aloysiae. 


St.  Bridget's  Bell. 

Stint   not 


the   honor   due   to    Brid- 
get's name, — 
Bridget  of  Ireland's  pure  and  saint- 
ly fame; 
High  throned  in  heaven, 
To    her   first   place   is    given 
Of  all  the  virgins  of  her  holy  Isle: 
Blessed  are  the  clean  of  heart  with- 
out  defile: 
In  sight  of  heaven  naught  can  vie 

With    spotless    chastity. 
— Gift   of   Perry   J.    Miniter   and 
Catherine,  his  wife,  in  memory  of 
their   daughter,   Aloysia. 


Bell  of  St.  Francis  Xavier. 


Sancte  .  Francisce  •  Xaveri 

Indiarum  .  apostole 

Coetus  .  catolicorum  .  Neo-Ebora- 


In   Xavier's  parish    formed,   by 

Xavier's  name  first  known, 

And    now     by     Xavier's     fostering 

favor  grown 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     221 


In  .  cujus  •  aedibus  •  ortum  .  habuit 

Sub  .  cujus  •  tutela  .  adolevit 

Grandior  .  factus 

Tuam  .  coelestem  .  opem  •  implorat 

Ut 

Ad  .  majorem  .  Dei .  et  •  Eccl  . 

Cathol  •  Gloriam 

Maxima  •  quaeque  •  perficiat 

— Elargitionibus    Coetus    Catholi- 

corum  N eo-Eboracensium. 


In  years  and  strength  and  prosper- 
ous estate, — 
The  Catholic  Club  in  nothing  shall 

abate 

Its    loyalty    to    thee,    its    heavenly 

advocate, 

Saint  Francis  Xavier: 

O    be    thou    yet    our    patron;    pray 

That — day   by   day — 
With    growing    power    the    loftier 

purpose    grow 
And   zeal   like   thine, — the   burning 

zeal 
That  kindled  farthest  Ind  to  fervid 

glow, — 
To   dare   and   do   what   deeds   shall 

noblest  show 

For    God's     high     glory    and    His 

Church's  weal. 

— Presented  by  the  Catholic  Club. 


St.  Peter's  Bell. 


Tu  •  es  •  Petrus 

Et  •  supr  •  hanc  .  petram 

Aedificata  •  est .  ecclesia  .  Christi 

Adversus  •  quam 
Portae  •  inferi .  non  •  praevalebunt 
— Pecunia  Georgii  B.  Coleman. 


Thou  art  Peter 

Firm-built  on  Peter's  rock. 

The    Church    of    Christ    withstands 

the  shock 

Of  all  the  powers  of  hell  that  may 

assail : 

They   never   shall   prevail. 

— Gift  of  George  B.  Coleman. 


St.  Cecilia's  Bell. 

■  Caecilia 

Valerianum  •  sponsum 

Christo  .  vero  .  animarum  .  sponso  • 

adjungens 

Omnibus  .  Catholicis  •  conjugibus 

Exemplar  •  esto 
— Suppetiit  nummos  uxor  Thomae 
F.  Ryan. 


Cecilia, 

From   unbelief   and   sin 

Thy     spouse    Valerian     thou     didst 

nobly    win 

To  glorious  spousal  of  his  soul  to 

Christ  the   Lord: 

With  one  accord, 

Let  all  good  spouses  see 

A   bright    exemplar    for   themselves 

in   thee. 
— Presented   by   Mrs.    Thomas   F. 
Ryan. 

St.  Helena's  Bell. 

Helena  •  imperatrix  .  sis  .  benedicta  Empress   Helena, 

Numinis  •  afflatu  .  ducta  Forever  blest  be  thou,  most  favored 

Tu  •  nobis  .  crucem  one, 


222     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 


In  •  qua  •  est  •  salus  •  vita  •  et .  re- 

surrectio  .  nostra 

Thesaurum  .  prae  .  omnibus  •  divitem 

Reddidisti  . 

— Sumptibus  Eleonorae  Keyes. 


Who,  by  a  heavenly  inspiration  led, 
Didst  find  for  us   the  cross   Christ 

died    upon; 
Cross,    with    the   blood    of    our    re- 
demption  red — 
Our  hope  of  life   when  other  hope 

was    none — 
Pledge  of  our  glorious  rising  from 

the    dead — 
The  sign  and  promise  of  salvation 
won. 
— Gift  of  Eleonora  Keyes. 


Bell  of  St.  Alphonsus  Liguori. 


Alphonsus  .  Maria  •  Liguorius 

Doctor  .  ecclesiae 

Pater  .  et  •  legifer  .  Congregat .  a  . 

Sanctiss  .  Redempt . 

Doctrina  •  ad  .  sanos  •  hominum  • 

mores  •  efformandos 

Pietate  •  in  .  virginem  .  matrem 

Amore  .  in  .  Christum  .  Deum 

Sub  •  eucharisticis  •  speciebus  .  ab- 

sconditum 

Ad  •  exemplum  .  conspicuus 

— Pia  oblatione  Mariae  A.  Mills. 


Alphonsus   Maria  Liguori, 
Doctor  of  the  Church,  and  founder 

famed 
Of    the    congregation    of    the    Most 

Holy   Redeemer   named, 
Whose  rule  and  discipline  by  thee 

were  framed: 
Thy   teaching    leading    men    to    vir- 
tue's ways, — 
Thy   zeal    for    Mother    Mary's 
praise, — 
Thy   faith   and   love   that  bent   un- 
bidden 
In  adoration  of  the   God-Man  hid- 
den 
'Neath   simple   eucharistic  veil; — 
May   these   thy  virtues  as   example 
never  fail! 
— Gift  of  Maria  A.  Mills. 


Bell  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas. 

Thomas  .  Aquinas  •  doctor  .  Angelicus  Thomas     Aquinas,     Angel     of     the 


Philosophorum  •  et  •  theologorum  . 

princeps 

A  .  sapientissimo  .  Leone  .  XIII  . 

Pont  •  Max  . 

Jure  .  ac  •  merito 

Catholicis  .  omnibus  •  scholis 

Veritatis  .  magister  .  coelestis  • 

patronus 

Datus 

Exemplaria  .  sua 


schools, 
Prince    of    philosophy    and    sacred 

lore, 
Where   scholars   throng   or   wisdom 

hives  her  store, 
Where  truth   is   sought   or  love   of 

learning  rules, 
Thee,    patron    of   the    school,    great 

Leo  aptly  names, 

Thee,  master  of  the  truth,  his  voice 

of   truth   proclaims. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     223 


Nocturna  •  diurnaque  .  manu  •  ver- 

sanda 

Sapientibus  •  et  •  insipientibus 

Praebeat 

— Munere  Thomae  Kelly. 


O  Master,  may  the  simple  and  the 

sage 

Alike  well  know, 

That    simple    will    grow    wise    and 

wise   will  wiser  grow, 
Who  con  with  loving  care  thy  lucid 
page. 
— Gift  of  Thomas  Kelly. 


St.  Godfrey's  Bell. 


Godefridus  .  episcopus 

Natione  .  Gallus 

A  •  puero  •  usque  .  ad  •  vitae  •  exitum 

Omnium  .  virtutum 

Popularibus  .  et  •  extraneis 

Mirum  •  exemplar. 

— In  carorum  parentum  Johannis 

et    Mariae    Koop    memoriam,     filii 

filiaeque  Godefridus,  Eugenius,  Coe- 

lestia,  Amelia. 


Godfrey, 
The   saintliest   graces    of    the   bish- 
op— blent 
With  all  thy  native  France's  patriot 
fire 
And   generous   chivalry; 
These   traits   in   thee, 
Crowning  a  life-time  in   God's  ser- 
vice  spent, 
Thy  countrymen  and  all  the  world 
admire. 
— In  memory  of  their  beloved  par- 
ents,   John    and    Mary    Koop,    by 
their    children,     Godfrey,    Eugene, 
Celeste,  and  Amelie. 


The  chimes  of  the  Cathedral  are  played  by  hand 
through  a  simple  device  known  as  tracker  action.  The 
operator  standing  faces  nineteen  levers  covering  a 
space  of  eight  feet  in  a  horizontal  line.  The  loose  ends 
nearest  to  the  operator  sink  about  a  foot  when  stopped 
by  the  striking  of  the  clapper  against  the  side  of  the 
bell  and  at  once  rebound  upward,  drawn  by  the  reced- 
ing clapper  and  a  spring-action.  The  far  ends,  four 
and  a  half  feet  away,  are  secured  by  hinges  to  a  strong 
frame,  thus  allowing  the  motion  described.  Nineteen 
rods  made  of  wood  one  inch  in  diameter  run  straight 
up  the  tower,  and  work  the  clapper  of  the  individual 
bell  in  much  the  same  fashion  as  the  old  house  gong. 
The  rods  are  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  long,  made  of 
wood  for  flexibility — wire  would  break  in  downward 


224     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

or  tangle  in  upward  motion.  The  connection  between 
the  lever  and  rod  is  made  by  heavy  leather  straps  that 
can  be  let  out  or  taken  in  so  as  to  keep  all  the  levers 
in  a  straight  horizontal  line  in  different  conditions  of 
weather.  The  operator's  task  is  no  small  one — it  re- 
quires strength  and  dexterity  to  handle  this  simple, 
practical,  yet  bulky  keyboard. 

The  ringing  of  the  Angelus  is  regulated  by  an  auto- 
matic clock.  An  Angelus  striking  machine,  installed  in 
the  north  tower,  is  arranged  to  strike  on  a  bell  of 
thirty-four  hundred  pounds  with  a  hammer  of  seventy- 
five  pounds.  It  is  released  at  8  A.M.,  12  M.  and  6 
P.M.  by  a  mechanical  connection  to  the  tower  clock 
mentioned  above.  The  Angelus  striker  and  the  auto- 
matic clock  were  set  up  by  the  E.  Howard  Clock  Com- 
pany, N.  Y.,  in  1901. 

THE  ORGANS. 

The  grand  organ  is  placed  in  a  gallery  in  the  first 
bay  of  the  nave,  between  the  front  towers.  This  gal- 
lery is  capable  of  accommodating  a  choir  of  one  hun- 
dred singers.  It  is  forty-six  feet  in  width,  across  the 
building,  and  twenty-eight  feet  long;  and  is  supported 
in  front  by  a  wrought  iron  compound  girder,  three  feet 
nine  inches  in  depth,  fourteen  inches  in  width,  and 
capable  of  sustaining  a  weight  of  one  hundred  tons. 
The  front  of  the  organ  gallery  is  of  ash,  supported  by 
molded  and  carved  brackets  of  the  same  material,  pro- 
jecting from  and  attached  to  the  great  iron  beam.  The 
ceiling  of  the  gallery  is  divided  into  squares  by  rich 
moldings  of  ash,  and  the  squares  are  filled  with  two 
inch  strips  of  ash,  laid  on  diagonally.  Access  to  it  is 
had  by  means  of  a  spiral  staircase  situated  in  the  south 


iQTOQRAVL.  Zf£   *     COLOR     CO. 


ALTAR       OF     ST.    JOKM      THE!      EVANGELIST 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     225 

lobby  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  entrance.  The  organ  was 
built  under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Father  McMahon, 
rector  of  the  church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist. 

The  chancel  organ  of  the  Cathedral,  built  in  1881 
by  G.  H.  and  C.  S.  Odell  of  New  York  City,  is  a  two 
manual  and  pedal  (thirty-two  notes)  instrument  of  the 
tracker  action  type.  The  general  scheme,  by  Very 
Rev.  Mgr.  A.  Lammel,  at  the  time  chancel  organist 
and  choir  director  of  the  Cathedral,  embodies  all  the 
requirements  of  a  choir  organ,  for  which  purpose  it  is 
being  used  exclusively. 

It  has  twenty  stops  and  three  couplers.  While  de- 
prived of  great  volume  it  has  a  fine  quality  of  tone, 
and  for  this  alone  stands  well  inside  the  dividing  line 
between  the  old  tin  horn  combinations  and  the  modern 
organ. 

LIGHTING. 

For  over  ten  years  the  problem  of  lighting  the 
Cathedral  by  electricity  was  taken  up  a  number  of 
times  but  the  plans  submitted  invariably  left  a  doubt 
in  the  minds  of  those  responsible  for  the  results  as  to 
whether  or  not  the  desired  illumination  would  be  ob- 
tained and  the  problem  remained  unsolved  until  early 
in  1904.  The  fire  hazard  was  of  vital  importance,  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  upper  structure  was  lath  and  plas- 
ter, but  a  system  was  finally  installed  which  eliminated 
all  fire  risk. 

Steel  conduits,  coated  with  a  heavy  enamel,  were 
used  throughout  and  no  wire  was  installed  until  the 
complete  conduit  system  was  in  position,  the  wire  being 
all  drawn  in  at  one  time.  There  is  no  part  of  the  sys- 
tem where  the  wire  is  not  encased  in  steel,  except  at 


226     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

the  switchboard  where  the  various  feeders  start.  At 
the  outlets,  steel  boxes  are  used,  and  at  the  junction 
points  sheet  steel  cabinets  encase  the  small  switch- 
boards. The  large  marble  switchboard  in  the  ambu- 
latory places  the  entire  system  at  the  command  of  the 
sacristan,  and  the  arrangement  is  such  that  economy 
may  be  practiced  in  the  lighting,  or  the  entire  church 
may  be  brilliantly  illuminated.  Seven  large  sunburst 
fixtures  in  the  ceiling  of  the  nave  and  transept,  with  a 
total  of  1,050  lamps,  together  with  24  fifty-light  fix- 
tures in  the  side  aisles  furnish  the  main  and  brilliant 
lighting,  while  fifty  bracket  fixtures  with  a  total  of 
two  hundred  and  seventy-four  lamps  serve  for  pur- 
poses of  reading  and  economic  use. 

The  sanctuary  arch  has  a  concealed  lighting  system 
separate  from  the  balance  of  the  church ;  one  hundred 
lamps  arranged  so  as  to  be  controlled  in  sections,  pro- 
vided with  reflectors,  throw  a  brilliant  light  upon  the 
main  altar.  To  produce  the  brilliant  illuminating  effect 
which  has  been  admired  by  so  many,  requires  40,768 
candle  power. 

When  one  realizes  what  it  would  mean  to  place,  light, 
extinguish,  and  care  for  forty  thousand  and  odd  can- 
dles, the  progress  of  the  twentieth  century  certainly 
becomes  impressive.  It  required  68,632  feet  of  cop- 
per cable  to  distribute  the  electric  current  to  the  light- 
ing points.  Every  wire  can  be  withdrawn  from  the 
conduits  at  any  time  and  be  replaced  without  in  any 
way  damaging  or  defacing  the  structure. 

Total  number  of  16  candle-power  lamps 2,548 

"      candle-power  40,768 

"     number  of  feet  of  cable 68,632 

(Which  is  equal  to  13  miles  of  cable.) 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL     227 

The  large  gilded  wrought  coronas  in  the  nave  and 
transepts,  the  chandeliers  in  the  side-aisles,  and  the 
candelabra  on  the  choir-rail,  were  designed  by  Schickel 
&  Ditmars.  The  electric  lighting  system  was  installed 
by  the  Charles  L.  Eidlitz  Co. 

VENTILATION. 

The  Cathedral  proper  is  ventilated  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  fresh  tempered  air  through  registers  in  the  ends 
of  the  pews.  The  air  displaced  by  the  introduction 
of  the  fresh  air  finds  exit  through  openings  near  the 
ceiling  leading  to  the  two  towers.  The  escape  of  the 
air  is  controlled  by  two  large  doors,  operated  by  pneu- 
matic devices  from  the  Cathedral  floor.  The  fresh  air 
introduced  into  the  Cathedral  is  passed  over  two  large 
tempering  coils,  each  containing  1,600  square  feet  of 
heating  surface,  and  is  heated  approximately  to  room 
temperature  before  entering  the  blowers,  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  entering  air  being  maintained  automatically 
at  the  desired  degree  by  the  Johnson  system  of  heat 
regulation. 

Seventy-five  thousand  cubic  feet  of  fresh  air  per 
minute  are  delivered  to  the  Cathedral  proper  by  two 
Sturtevant  steel-plate  blowers,  each  having  a  blast- 
wheel  eight  feet  in  diameter.  These  blowers  are 
coupled  together  on  one  shaft,  driven  by  a  C.  &  C. 
Electric  Company's  direct-connected  slow-speed  motor, 
provided  with  speed-regulating  devices  permitting  a 
variation  of  speed  from  full  speed  to  two-thirds  speed. 
The  air  delivered  from  the  blowers  is  led  through  a 
system  of  galvanized  iron  ducts,  located  underneath  the 
floor  of  the  Cathedral  connected  with  the  four  hundred 
and  sixty  registers  in  the  ends  of  the  pews. 


228     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

The  heating  of  the  Cathedral  proper  is  effected  by 
direct  steam  radiators  and  steam  coils  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  the  ventilating  system.  The  radiators  are 
placed  near  the  outside  walls  and  near  the  entrances, 
and  the  steam  coils  above  the  galleries.  The  new  por- 
tion of  the  Cathedral,  located  back  of  the  main  altar 
and  containing  the  Lady  Chapel,  sacristy,  etc.,  is  heated 
by  warm  air  in  connection  with  a  special  ventilating 
system. 

The  fresh  air  supply  for  the  heating  and  ventilation 
of  the  Lady  Chapel  section  of  the  Cathedral  is  passed 
over  a  tempering  coil  containing  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  square  feet  of  heating  surface,  and  is  warmed  to 
substantially  room  temperature  before  entering  the 
blowers,  the  temperature  of  the  entering  air  being 
maintained  automatically  at  the  desired  degree  by  the 
Johnson  system  of  heat  regulation. 

Sixteen  thousand  cubic  feet  of  air  per  minute  are 
delivered  by  a  Sturtevant  blower,  having  a  blast- 
wheel  six  feet  in  diameter.  The  blower  is  driven  by 
a  direct  connected  slow-speed  C.  &  C.  Electric 
Company's  motor.  From  the  blower  the  tempered  air 
is  led  through  galvanized  iron  ducts  to  the  sub-base- 
ment of  the  Lady  Chapel,  and  there  connects  with  the 
individual  rising  flues  terminating  with  registers  in  the 
rooms.  Each  fresh  air  supply  flue  is  divided  into  two 
branches,  one  branch  leading  direct  to  the  register  and 
the  other  passing  through  the  heating  stack  before  join- 
ing the  vertical  flue.  Dampers  are  provided  in  these 
tempered  and  warm  air  connections,  operated  pneu- 
matically by  the  thermostats  in  the  rooms,  admitting 
alternately  either  tempered  or  warm  air,  as  is  required 
to  maintain  the  desired  temperature  in  the  rooms. 


•*OrO<r#AVuR£ 


ALTAR         or         ST.      STANISLAUS         KOSTKA. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL      229 

The  steam  for  heating  the  Cathedral  and  the  Lady 
Chapel  and  for  warming  the  air  supply,  as  well  as  for 
supplying  steam  for  heating  the  Archbishop's  and  the 
rector's  residences,  is  generated  in  the  central  boiler 
plant,  located  below  the  ground  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Lady  Chapel  adjoining  the  machinery  room  of  the 
main  ventilating  apparatus.  For  the  purpose  of  steam 
supply  there  are  installed  three  horizontal  return-tubu- 
lar boilers,  each  sixty  inches  in  diameter  by  eighteen 
feet  long,  each  boiler  having  ninety-six  tubes  three  and 
one-half  inches  in  diameter,  and  a  dome  thirty  inches 
in  diameter  by  thirty  inches  high.  The  boilers  are 
constructed  of  steel  and  designed  for  the  generation  of 
steam  at  high  pressure,  but  the  steam  for  heating  the 
buildings  and  for  warming  the  air  supply  is  reduced  to, 
and  circulated  at,  low  pressure,  and  is  returned  by 
gravity  to  the  receiving  apparatus  and  thence  pumped 
back  into  the  boilers. 

The  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  was  installed 
by  Gillis  &  Geoghegan  under  the  supervision  of  Alfred 
R.  Wolff,  consulting  engineer,  and  Charles  T. 
Mathews,  architect. 

St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  holds  the  eleventh  place  in 
size  among  the  great  cathedrals  and  churches  of  the 
world.  In  the  following  list  one  square  yard  of  space 
has  been  allowed  for  every  four  persons: 

Cathedrals  Capacity         Square  Yds. 

St.  Peter's,  at  Rome 54,000 13,500 

Milan  Cathedral 37,000 9,025 

St.  Paul's,  at  Rome 32,000 8,000 

St.  Paul's,  London 25,600 6,400 

St.  Petronio,  Bologna 24,400 6,100 

Florence  Cathedral 24,000 6,000 


230     DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Cathedrals  Capacity         Square  Yds. 

Antwerp  Cathedral 24,000 6,000 

St.  Sophia,  Constantinople 23,000 5,750 

St.  John  Lateran,  Rome 22,900 5,725 

Notre  Dame,  Paris 21,000 5,250 

St.  Patrick's,  New  York 18,696 4,674 

Pisa  Cathedral 13,000 3,250 

St.  Stephen's,  Vienna 12,400 3,100 

St.  Dominic's,  Bologna 11,400 2,850 

Cathedral  at  Vienna 11,000 2,750 

St.  Mark's,  at  Venice 7,000 1,750 


APPENDIX. 


Succession  of  Prelates  in  the  Archdiocese 
of  New  York 

The  Right  Rev.  R.  Luke  Concanen,  O.P.,  D.D., 
first  Bishop ;  consecrated  April  24,  1808 ;  died  June  19, 
1810. 

The  Right  Rev.  John  Connolly,  O.P.,  D.D.,  second 
Bishop;  consecrated  November  6,  1814;  died  February 
6,  1825. 

The  Right  Rev.  John  Dubois,  D.D.,  third  Bishop; 
consecrated  October  29,  1826 ;  died  December  20,  1842. 

Most  Rev.  John  Hughes,  D.D.,  fourth  Bishop; 
consecrated  Titular  Bishop  of  Basileopolis  and  Coad- 
jutor to  the  Bishop  of  New  York,  January  7,  1838 ;  suc- 
ceeded to  the  See  of  New  York,  December  20,  1842: 
consecrated  first  Archbishop  of  New  York,  July  19, 
1850;  died  January  3,  1864. 

His  Eminence  John,  Cardinal  McCloskey,  fifth 
Bishop,  second  Archbishop ;  consecrated  Titular  Bishop 
of  Axiere  and  Coadjutor  to  the  Bishop  of  New  York, 
March  10,  1844 ;  translated  to  the  See  of  Albany,  May 
21,  1847;  promoted  to  this  See,  May  6,  1864;  created 
Cardinal  Priest  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church,  March  15, 
1875,  under  the  title  of  Sancta  Maria  Supra  Minervam; 
died  October  10,  1885. 

Most  Rev.  Michael  Augustine  Corrigan,  D.D., 
sixth  Bishop,  third  Archbishop ;  consecrated  Bishop  of 
Newark,  N.  J.,  May  4,  1873;  promoted  to  the  Archi- 


232  APPENDIX 

episcopal  See  of  Petra  and  made  Coadjutor  to  His 
Eminence  Cardinal   McCloskey,  Archbishop  of  New 
York,  with  the  right  of  succession,  October  6,  1880 
succeeded  to  the  See  of  New  York,  October  10,  1885 
made  assistant  at  the  Pontifical  Throne,  April  19,  1887 
died  May  5,  1902. 

Most  Rev.  John  M.  Farley,  D.D.,  seventh  Bishop, 
fourth  Archbishop;  consecrated  Titular  Bishop  of 
Zeugma  and  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  New  York,  December 
21,  1895;  promoted  to  this  See,  September  15,  1902; 
preconized  June  22,  1903 ;  made  assistant  at  the  Pontif- 
ical Throne,  December  4,  1904. 


//. 

The  Archdiocese  of  New  York  in  1908. 

Archbishop  1 

Bishop  1 

Churches    317 

City 138     Country 179 

Chapels   186 

Stations  (without  churches)  regularly  visited. ..  33 
Priests 894 

Secular 596    Regular 298 

Theological  Seminary  (Dunwoodie) 1 

Students 124     Students  (Rome) . .     13 

Preparatory  Seminary 1 

Students 141 

Colleges  and  Academies  for  boys : 

Pupils 3,339 

Academies  for  girls : 

Pupils 3,736 

Parish  Schools,  New  York  City,  for  boys 80 

Pupils 25,416 

Parish  Schools,  New  York  City,  for  girls 83 

Pupils 28,511 

Parish  Schools,  outside  New  York  City 48 

Pupils — boys  . .  .5,221     Pupils — girls 6,004 

Total  in  parish  schools 65,152 

Schools  for  Deaf-Mutes 3 

Day  Nurseries 11 

Emigrant  Homes 5 

Homes  for  the  Aged 4 

Hospitals 22 

Industrial  and  Reform  Schools 32 

Orphan  Asylums 7 

Asylums  for  the  Blind 2 

Total  of  young  people  under  Catholic  care 90,252 

Population,  estimated 1,200,000 


The  Architect  of  the  Cathedral. 

James  Renwick,  Jr.,  architect  of  the  Cathedral,  was 
born  in  New  York  City  in  1818.  He  was  graduated 
from  Columbia  College  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  seems 
to  have  inherited  a  taste  for  engineering  from  his 
father.  His  first  employment  was  in  the  Engineering 
Department  of  the  Croton  Aqueduct  under  Jervis,  and 
while  there  he  made  the  design  for  the  distributing 
reservoir  at  Forty-second  Street,  which  was  completed 
in  1842.  Mr.  Renwick's  knowledge  of  architecture  was 
entirely  self -acquired,  and  he  early  manifested  a  fond- 
ness for  the  Gothic  style  which  was  then  becoming  so 
popular  abroad.  At  that  time  there  was  no  Gothic 
building  in  America,  and  all  he  had  to  guide  him  were 
some  books  by  Britton  and  Pugin.  With  this  scanty 
preparation,  when  only  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he 
designed  Grace  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  was  a 
member.  In  1847  he  made  a  Gothic  plan  for  the  Smith- 
sonian Institute;  but  the  Board  of  Regents  preferred 
his  Romanesque  design,  which  was  probably  the  first 
example  of  the  style  in  this  country.  Later,  Mr.  Ren- 
wick traveled  in  Europe  and  became  still  more  im- 
pressed with  the  beauty  of  the  Gothic. 

About  1853,  he  drew  the  first  plans  of  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral.  No  father  ever  watched  more  tenderly  over 
a  favorite  child  than  did  Mr.  Renwick  over  the  building 
of  the  Cathedral.  His  love  of  art  was  enrooted  in  a 
deeply  religious  soul.  The  Cathedral,  the  grandest 
religious  edifice  in  the  United  States,  is  a  lasting  monu- 
ment to  his  genius.   He  died  in  1895. 


IV. 

Subscriptions  Received  in  Response  to  the  Circular 

of  the  Most  Reverend  Archbishop  Hughes 

for  New  Cathedral  of  St.  Patrick. 

Subscriptions  of  $1000. 


Dr.  Donatien  Binsse. 
Rev.  Mr.  Brophy. 
John  Bryan. 
W.  H.  Burrows. 
Andrew  Carrigan. 
James  Cody. 
Charles  M.  Connolly. 
Convent  of  Sacred  Heart. 
Rev.  Michael  Curran. 
Daniel  Devlin. 
Rev.  J.  Dillon. 
Rev.  Arthur  J.  Donnelly. 
Terence  Donnelly. 
Rev.  John  Dowling. 
Terence  Farley. 
Rev.  Thomas  Farrell. 
Joseph  Fischer. 
Edward  Fitzgerald. 
T.  James  Glover. 
George  V.  Hecker. 
Henry  L.  Hoguet 
Most  Rev.  John  Hughes. 
Felix  Ingoldsby. 
James  Keane. 
Eugene  Kelly. 


Mary  Kelly. 

Duncan  Kennedy. 

Martin  Lalor. 

Bryan  Laurence. 

Robert  W.  Lowber. 

Edward  Lynch. 

James  Lynch. 

Rev.  Mr.  Lynch. 

Philip  Lyons. 

Rev.  Michael  McAleer. 

V.  Rev.  Michael  McCarron. 

Rev.  Wm.  McClellan. 

Patrick  McCormick. 

Walter  McGee. 

John  McGrane. 

Rev.  James  McMahon 

($1,500). 
John  McMenomy. 
H.  W.  T.  Mali. 
John  Manning. 
Rev.  Thomas  Mooney. 
Patrick  Mulvahil. 
Peter  Murray. 
Wm.  and  Jno.  O'Brien. 
Charles  O'Connor. 


236 


APPENDIX 


James  Olwell  ($1,500). 
James  A.  O'Reilly. 
John  H.  Power. 
Rev.  William  Quinn. 
James  Renwick,  Jr. 
William  Rodrigue. 


Rev.  I.  Schneller. 

Henry  Shields. 

Sisters  of  Mt.  St.  Vincent. 

Henry  F.  Spaulding. 

V.  Rev.  Wm.  Starrs,  V.G. 

L.  S.  Suarez. 


Louis  J.  White. 
Later  Subscribers  to  New  Cathedral. 


Michael   Adrian.  .$100 

Morris  Ah  earn 100 

Edw.  H.  AndersonlOO 
J.  A.  Anderson...  100 

Mrs.  Andrews 100 

James  Aspell 100 

Richard  Baker....  100 
Mrs.  Catherine  Bar- 
clay   100 

Geo.  G.  Barnard . .  500 

Mary    Barrill 100 

G.  R.  Barry 500 

James  Barry 100 

J.  M.  F.  Basch....l00 
Charles  Bedford..  .  100 

James  Beglan 100 

George  Bennett.  ...100 
Benziger  Brothers. .250 
Margaret    Bergen..  100 

Jacob  Berman 100 

Richard  Bigley 100 

L.  B.  Binsse 500 

P.  M.  Birgin,  (an- 
nually)    100 


M.  de  Birmingham$100 

B.  Blanco 1,500 

Rev.  J.  Boyce 500 

P.  Boyhan 100 

R.  W.   Boyer 100 

Thomas    Boyle ....  500 

Mrs.  Bradley 1,000 

E.  Brady 100 

Rev.  John  Breen.,500 

M.  Brennan 500 

Owen  M.  Brennan.250 
Thomas  Brennan..  100 
Rev.  E.  S.  Briody..600 
Mrs.  Broderick.  ..100 
Rev.  G.  Brophy...400 
Patrick  Brophy.  ...100 

John  Brosnan 100 

Wm.  Brugiers 100 

Patrick  Bure 100 

Dr.  John  Burke... 500 

Michael  Burke 500 

John  Busch  GuardslOO 

Mrs.    Burtsell 100 

Matthew  Byrne..  1,000 


APPENDIX 


237 


Wm.  J.  Byrne $100 

John  M.  Conway.  100 
Judge  Connolly. . .  100 
Cornelius  Costello . .  100 
Margaret  Conway.  100 

John  Carroll 100 

James  Cassidy 100 

St.  Columba's  Ros- 
ary Society 100 

Edward  Clarke.  ...100 

James  Crowley 100 

Eleanor  Clancy 500 

James  Cummings. .  100 

Daniel  Carey 100 

Mrs.     James    Con- 
way   100 

Mrs.  Carter 100 

J.  Cassin 100 

Church  Bldg.  Assn. 

Rev.  W.  Starrs.  1,073.85 
Patrick     Collins 

Est 1,000 

Charles  M.  Connolly500 
John  Cavanagh ....  100 

James  Colwell 100 

Mary  Conway 100 

James  Conway.  . .  .200 

C.  Carroll 100 

Edward  Corrigan . .  100 
Saml.  Conlin  &  Son500 
James  Campbell .  . .  100 

James  Clancy 100 

Michael  Cotter 100 


John  Curry $100 

Children     of     St. 
Mary's    Select 

School  400 

P.  Callaghan 250 

J.  J.  Connolly,  M.D.250 

D.  L.  Coyle 200 

John  Clarke 150 

Wm.  Cleary 100 

Bernard  Clarke. ...  100 

John  Cassidy 100 

Hugh  Casey 200 

John  M.  Carroll... .100 

Mr.  Crowley 500 

James  Caulfield. .  . .  100 

L.  J.  Callanan 100 

JohnConnell 100 

John  Connolly 100 

Andrew  Clark 250 

Thomas  Connolly...  100 
James  Cunnion ....  100 

Mary  Connors 100 

Michael  Connolly.  .150 
Edward  Connolly.  .100 
Jeremiah  Crowley..  100 

Michael  Cain 100 

Catholic  Lady 100 

William  S.  Caldwell200 

Patrick  Collins 100 

Rev.    William 

Clowry 1,000 

Rev.  L.  J.  Conron. .  500 
H.  B.  Cochrane..  1,000 


238 


APPENDIX 


Rev.  F.  Caro $300 

Rev.  M.Curran..  1,000 

(  Second    subscription. ) 
L.W.Caldwell....  500 

J.  J.  Campion 250 

M.  Costigan 500 

L.  Carolin 100 

F.  Curran 100 

John  Cotter 100 

Ann  Connor 100 

James  Cunningham.  100 
Winifred  Cooney...l00 
William  T.ColemanlOO 

David  Dealy 100 

Michael  L.  Doyle...  100 
Michael  Diamond . .  500 
Daniel  Delaney. .  ..100 
Miss  Mary  Duffy..  100 

Patrick  Dixon 250 

James  Dunphy 100 

Ann  Devitt 100 

M.  Donahue 100 

JohnDorgan..  ..100 
George  Devling.  . . .  100 

John  Donnelly 100 

M.  Delaney 300 

M.  Donohue 100 

Wm.  Dorian 100 

Edward  C.  Donnelly200 
Mrs.  Robert  J.  Dil- 
lon .' 150 

John  E.  Devlin 500 

Patrick  Daley 500 


Rev.  Mr.  Donnelly$100 
(Providence,  R.  I.) 
Jeremiah  Devlin.  .1,000 
Mrs.  D.  Dugan..  1,000 
Joseph  Dowling . . .  500 
B.  Duggan,  M.D...300 

Patrick  Dolan 250 

Peter   Dolan 200 

Catherine  Daley...  100 
Michael  J.  Dunne.  150 

Michael   Daly 100 

James  Dempsey. . .  100 

John   Dunn 100 

Thomas  Devine. .  ..500 
Thomas  Dougherty.  100 

Rev.  P.  Egan 500 

Henry   Everett 100 

Thomas  Earley. ...  100 
Thomas  Ennis. . .  1,000 

John  Earley 250 

Mrs.  Erwin 100 

Est.  of  Thos.  En- 
nis  1,131.25 

George  W.  Eggleso.100 
Edward  Fanning.  .350 

James  Fee 500 

James  R.  Floyd.  ..500 

Philip  Farley 500 

John  Foley 500 

Senator  Fields 100 

Rev.   F.  Farrelly..500 

Mrs.   Fogarty 100 

William   Florence . .  100 


APPENDIX 


239 


HughFriel $100 

Pierce  Fay 100 

Miss  Fleming 100 

Ignatius  Flynn....l00 

John  Frost 100 

John  French 100 

Thomas  Fitzgerald .  100 
Dennis  Flanagan .  .  100 
B.  Fitzpatrick...  ..100 
Cornelius  Farley. . .  100 

John  Farrell 500 

Margaret  and  Brid- 
get Flaherty 100 

Rev.  Thomas  Far- 
rell   300 

Dr.  Gibert 500 

F.  Grund 500 

Michael  and  Freder- 
ick Grosz 500 

Andrew  Grosz.  . .  1,000 

J.  B.  Gilden 100 

James  Gallagher . . .  200 
John  Galvin,  M.D..100 

James  Griffen 100 

Kate  Gerry 100 

David  Goggin 100 

Patrick  Geraghty.  .100 

Michael  Grace 100 

William   Graham..  100 

John  Gaynor 500 

Michael  Goodwin..  100 

P.  Garrick 100 

Mrs.  Gebhard 250 


Mrs.  C.  Gibbons. $100 

Mrs.   Gonegal 100 

E.  Goodwin 100 

Mrs.     M.     C.     de 

Grund 1,000 

John  Gubbin 100 

Anthony  Gorman.. .100 
Thomas  Galligan.. .  100 
Rhody  Gallagher...  100 
Mrs.  Ellen  Gallag- 
her   100 

Henry  Gordon 100 

John  Gowan 100 

John    and    Michael 

Gaff  ney 100 

James  Gallagher. . .  150 

James  Hayes 100 

James  M.  Hunt..  1,000 

James  Hart 500 

L.  Huffen 500 

Rev.  G.  Healey..  1,000 
John  J.  Healey.... 500 
John  H.  Hudson.  1,000 
Rev.    J.    Hackett's 

Estate 364.25 

Henry  F.  Hammill.500 

L.  E.  Hargous 100 

J.  Y.  Hargous 100 

Calixte  Harvier ....  200 
William  A.  Hart...  100 

Patrick  Hogan 100 

Peter  Halpin 100 

William  Hennessy. .  100 


240 


APPENDIX 


P.  Hatton $100 

Harry  Hughes 100 

Myles  Hurson 100 

Daniel  Hayden ....  250 
William  Hardy.  .1,000 

John  Haley 250 

Mrs.  T.  del  Hoyo.,100 

Edward  Hare 100 

John  B.  Harrison..  100 
Mrs.  G.  Hecker....250 
P.  A.  Hubbard.... 200 

James  Heslin 100 

Alice  Hartley 100 

John  Higgins 100 

James  J.  Higgins.  ..100 

P.  Hoey 100 

Michael  Hayes 100 

James  B.  Hecker.,100 

B.  Hanan 100 

Michael  Halpine . . .  500 
Jesuit    Fathers    of 
St.  Francis  Xav- 

ier's 500 

Jesuit    Fathers    of 
St.  John's  College500 

L.  Jacques 500 

Morgan  Jones 100 

William  Joyce 100 

St.  John  the  Evan- 
gelist   Ch  u  r  c  h  , 
Surplus  Funds. 2,000 
Rev.  J.  Kinsella...500 
James  Kerrigan.  .1,000 


Rev.  F.  Krebez...$500 
Rev.  A.  Kesseler...l00 

John  Kelly 500 

Martin  Kane 100 

Charles  Kane 100 

John  F.  Kennedy . . 100 
Michael  Kennedy.  ..100 
Michael  Kane...  ..100 

Thomas  Kane 100 

Martin  Kavanagh .  ..100 
Michael  Kerrigan. .  100 

B.  Kilduff 100 

P.  Kehoe 250 

James  Kelly 100 

Patrick  Kane 250 

James  Kennedy ....  100 

Bridget  Kelly 100 

Hugh  Kelly 400 

Rev.  J.  Larkin 400 

Rev.  A.  Lafort 200 

John  Ladin 500 

James  Lynch 500 

William  Lalor 500 

Rev.  J.  Lewis 500 

Miss  E.  Lynch 500 

Patrick  Lynch 100 

Michael  Lane 100 

John  Lynch 100 

Charles  Loughlin.  1,000 

H.  Lord 100 

James  Lynch 500 

James  Lynch 100 

Mrs.  Ellen  Lane....  100 


APPENDIX 


241 


Sebastian  Lanier.. $100 
Thomas  Loughr  an  1,000 

M.Lee 100 

Mrs.  Lamb 100 

Hugh  Lackey 100 

Andrew  Leary ....  100 
Daniel  McCabe...250 
Henry  McCloskey.  100 
John  McNamara.  .100 
Michael  McKeon..500 
Wm.  H.  McKinlesslOO 
William  McCarthy.  100 

John    McEnan 100 

John  C.  McCarthy. 200 

C.  Mcllhargy 100 

John   McCarthy...  100 

John   McCool 100 

William  McKennanlOO 

D.  McCarthy 100 

William  McKenna.100 
John  McConville.  .100 
Mary  McKavin.  . .  170 
Anthony  McShane.100 
Rev.  John  McEvoy.500 
Rev.  Patrick  Mc- 
Carthy   1,000 

Rev.  L.  McKenna.500 
Rev.  M.  McKenna.500 
McEvoy   Brothers. 500 

P.  McBarron 500 

John   McBarron.  ..500 
Judge  John  H.  Mc- 
Crum  500 


J.  McKenna $1,000 

Mrs.  P.  McLaugh- 
lin    300 

Mary  McFadden . .  100 
John  W.  McKinleylOO 

Mrs.  McCoy 100 

M.  McNulty 100 

James  McCoy 100 

Patrick  McKeon.,100 
Mrs.  Sarah  McGea- 

han   100 

John   McHugh 100 

Daniel    L.     Mc- 

Sweeney 100 

Charles  McManus.100 
Henry  McAleenan .  100 
Nicholas  McCool..  100 
Peter  McCullough .  100 
James  McGraw ....  100 
Ellen   McKenna.  ..100 

Peter  McAleer 100 

L.  McGetterick....l00 

John  McDevitt 250 

Charles  McGinnesslOO 
Patrick  McGuirc.lOO 
Richard  McCormicklOO 
Henry  McKevitt. .  100 
James    McCartney.  100 

M.  McGrath 100 

Bryan  McCahill .  . .  750 

John  Mullaly 100 

Timothy  Murphy..  100 
Mrs.  Malby 100 


242 


APPENDIX 


James  Moore $500 

Mrs.   Mulrine 100 

Mary  Moore 100 

Arthur  Moore 100 

Mrs.  A.  Martinez..  100 
William  Mulry....500 
Laurence  Mulry . . .  100 
James  Mulligan.  .1,000 

James  Murphy 100 

Thomas  Molloy.  ..150 
P.  M.  Murphy.... 500 

P.  Mihan... 100 

Daniel  Mooney ....  100 
John  J.  Murphy...  100 
John  Morrissey. .  .500 
E.  and  A.  Martin..  100 
Rev.  P.  N.  Madden500 
Rev.  Dr.  Morrogh.500 
Rev.  L.  Maguire..500 
John  Murphy....  1,000 
L.  and  A.  Martin.. 500 
James  Murphy.  .1,000 
Daniel  Murphy.  .1,000 
Rev.  J.  J.  Maguire.200 
Patrick  Mooney. .  .500 

James   Moore 100 

Mrs.  Maitland 200 

Peter  Monahan ....  100 
James  Maguire. .  ..100 
Timothy  Maxwell..  100 

Patrick  Martin 100 

John  Moss 100 

Peter  Mallon 100 


John  Morrissey. $1,000 

Owen  Murphy 100 

B.  Meehan 100 

Mrs.    Margaret 

Murphy    ..200 

Bryan  Martin 100 

St.   Mary's   Rosary 

Society 100 

Jeremiah  MorrisseylOO 

James  Murtagh 100 

Rodger  Monahan.. .100 

Hugh  Murray 100 

John  B.  Manning.. 500 

John  Mumford 100 

Michael  Murray. .  .100 
Thomas  Muldoon.100 
Thomas  Muldoon..l00 

M.  Mulgrew 100 

Thomas  Maher 500 

A.  Mullins 150 

John  Mack 500 

Rev.  Mr.  Moran...l00 
Rev.  Mark  MurphylOO 
Rev.  M.  Nicot....500 
Rev.  J.  Nobriga...600 

A.  Noel 250 

Messrs.    O'Neill    & 

O'Keefe 100 

Joseph  F.  Navarro.500 

James   Norris 100 

James    B.    Nichol- 
son   100 

Thomas  A.  Nugent.  100 


APPENDIX 


243 


Rev.  Mr.  Nilan...$100 

L.  O'Neill 100 

James  O'Meara.  . .  100 
Joseph  O'Connor...  100 
Thomas  J.  O'Brien.  100 
Signor  de  Oviedo..500 

J.  O'Kane 100 

Francis  O'Keefe..  .  100 
William  B.  O'Con- 
nor   100 

Patrick  O'Connor.  100 
Michael  O'Brien..  .  100 
Thomas  O'Brien..  100 
Richard  O'Gorman.250 
Timothy   O'Donog- 

hue    100 

Rev.  D.  O'Connor. 500 
Rev.  J.  Ossenigo.  .  .500 
Peter  O'Connor. .  .250 
James  O'Neill.  ...1,000 
R.  J.  O'Sullivan...l00 
William  O'Connor..500 
Hannah  O'Brien.  ..500 

F.  O'Byrne 100 

Timothy    O'Donog- 

hue 100 

John  Owens 100 

Alderman  O'Brien.,100 

Mrs.  O'Shea 100 

Charles  O'Neill ....  100 

H.  O'Reilly 100 

D.  O'Connor 100 

Stephen  Philbin.... 250 


Rev.  A.  PfeifTer..$100 
Rev.     Thomas     S. 

Preston   1,000 

John  Purcell 500 

Michael  Peppard. . .  100 

George  Pieri 100 

Robert  Pardow 100 

Paulist  Fathers..  1,000 
Rev.  Dr.  Parsons.. 500 
Mrs.    Louisa    Par- 
sons   100 

Daniel  Power 100 

St.  Peter's  Temper- 
ance Society ....  500 
Power  Brothers.  ..100 
Mrs.  Royal  Phelps.  100 

Mrs.   Phelan 100 

Maria  Quinn 100 

Dennis  Quinn 250 

Jeremiah  Quinlan..500 
Mrs.    Jeremiah 

Quinlan 500 

Daniel  Quinn 250 

James  Reid 1,000 

Redemptorist  Fa- 
thers   1,000 

John  A.  Riston 500 

Edward  Rowe 500 

Elizabeth  RedmondlOO 

John  Rooney 100 

Bernard  Reilly 100 

Francis  Reynolds...  100 
James  Redmond . . .  200 


244 


APPENDIX 


Michael  Ryan..  ..$100 
Elizabeth  Roach...  100 

R.  W.  Roby 300 

Mrs.  de  Ruyten...l00 

Peter  Rice 1,000 

John  Riston 500 

Rev.    John    Shana- 

han   500 

Messrs.  Sadlier. .  ..500 
Rev.  M.  D.  Scully.. 300 
Edward  Scully.  .  ..100 
Daniel  Sweeny. . .  .500 

J.  J.  Slevin 500 

A.  Storris 100 

James  Smith 100 

Mrs.  Peter  Smith.  1,000 

Allen  Steel 100 

John  Sullivan 250 

Edward  Sherlock.. 100 
Patrick  Sheahan...  100 

John  Swanton 100 

John  Swanton 100 

Patrick  Scanlon..  . .  100 

John  J.  Staff 500 

Margaret  M.   Slat- 

tery 100 

Mrs.  Spellman 100 

Joseph  Smith 100 

J.  Treacy 1,000 

J.  Thebaud,  M.D...200 
John  M.Tobin...  1,000 
Christian 


Patrick  Tierney..  .$100 
James  P.  Travers.  .100 
Mrs.  Elizabeth 

Tinkham  100 

Mrs.  L.Thompson.  100 
Patrick  Treacy. . .  .250 
Patrick  Thorpe ....  100 

James  Twomey 100 

Rev.  Thomas  Trea- 

nor 500 

Mrs.  F.  Wood 100 

Owen  Ward 100 

Miss   Jo  s  e  p  h  i  n  e 

Ward 500 

Mrs.  Ward 100 

Jacob  Wendecker.. .  100 

James  Wallace 500 

Nicholas  Walsh.... 500 
Rev.     M.     Ward's 

Estate 639.78 

i      Cousins. 

Bernard  Williams. .  500 

James  Whalen 100 

Martin  Walsh 100 

John  Whelan 100 

J.  R.  Whelan 100 

Thomas  Ward 100 

Bernard  Ward 100 

Michael  Walsh 100 

Edward  T.Young.. 250 
Ziegler...l00 


The  High-Altar  in  the  Cathedral.— Gift  of  the 
Clergy  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New  York. 

This  altar,  consecrated  May  24,  1879,  by  the  Right 
Rev.  John  J.  Conroy,  Bishop  of  Curium,  is  the  offering 
of  His  Eminence,  John  Cardinal  McCloskey,  the  Very 
Rev.  William  Quinn,  V.  G.,  the  Very  Rev.  Thomas  S. 
Preston,  V.G.,  the  Rev.  John  M.  Farley,  Secretary,  and 
the  Revs. 


William  Boddy, 
Patrick  Brady, 
Henry  A.  Brann, 
Edward  S.  Briody, 
Richard  L.  Burtsell, 
Edward  J.  Byrnes, 
Joseph  Byron, 
Michael  Callaghan, 
Joseph  Campbell, 
William  L.  Clowry, 
Charles  H.  Colton, 
John  T.  Colton, 
James  L.  Conron, 
Edward  J.  Conroy, 
Daniel  J.  Corkery, 
Charles  R.  Corley, 
William  P.  Costigan, 
Henry  Coyle, 
Daniel  J.  Cronin, 
James  F.  Curran, 
Michael  Curran, 


Ignatius  M.  Delveaux, 
Matthew  J.  Doherty, 
Arthur  J.  Donnelly, 
Cornelius  T.  Donovan, 
James  Dougherty, 
John  Doyle, 
Thomas  J.  Ducey, 
John  J.  Duffy, 
Edward  J.  Dunphy, 
Thomas  J.  Dunphy, 
William  A.  Dunphy, 
Terence  E.  Earley, 
John  Edwards, 
Patrick  Egan, 
William  Everett, 
James  Farrell, 
Felix  H.  Farrelly, 
John  Fitzharris, 
Thomas  Fitzpatrick, 
James  Fitzsimmons, 
Hugh  Flattery, 


246 


APPENDIX 


James  J.  Flood, 
Edward  J.  Flynn, 
William  J.  Foy, 
Bartholomew  Galligan, 
James  M.  Galligan, 
Patrick  Gleason, 
Bernard  A.  O'Connor, 
Henry  J.  Gordon, 
John  M.  Grady, 
Charles  P.  Grannan, 
James  Hassen, 
James  W.  Hayes, 
Patrick  J.  Healey, 
John  C.  Henry, 
William  J.  Hogan, 
William  H.  Hoyt, 
Nicholas  J.  Hughes, 
John  J.  Kean, 
John  F.  Kearney, 
Terence  F.  Kelley, 
John  J.  Keogan, 
Anthony  Kesseler, 
Felician  Krebes, 
Anthony  Lammel, 
John  Larkin, 
John  Lewis, 
Albert  A.  Lings, 
Patrick  Loughran, 
Thomas  F.  Lynch, 
Michael  McAllen, 
Thomas  A.  McCabe, 
Patrick  McCarthy, 
John  J.  McCauley, 


John  P.  McClancy, 
William  J.  McClure, 
Patrick  McCort, 
John  McEvoy, 
Michael  B.  McEvoy, 
James  H.  McGean, 
Edward  McGlynn, 
Patrick  McGovern, 
Edward  McKenna, 
Eugene  McKenna, 
James  McMahon, 
John  McNamee, 
John  McQuirk, 
Charles  McCready, 
Edward  McSweeney, 
Patrick  F.  McSweeney, 
Henry  C.  Macdowall, 
Eugene  Maguire, 
Patrick  Maguire, 
Patrick  Mahoney, 
Patrick  V.  Malone, 
James  F.  Mee, 
Isidore  Meister, 
Anthony  Molloy, 
Joseph  F.  Mooney, 
James  J.  Mooney, 
Stephen  J.  Nagle, 
Michael  W.  Newman, 
Matthew  Nicot, 
James  Nilan, 
Michael  A.  Nolan, 
David  O'Connor, 
Michael  C.  O'Farrell, 


APPENDIX 


247 


Michael  J.  O'Farrell, 
Denis  P.  O'Flynn, 
Charles  M.  O'Keeffe, 
William  J.  O'Kelly, 
Andrew  O'Reilly, 
Edward  J.  O'Reilly, 
Charles  F.  Payten, 
William  L.  Penny, 
Michael  J.  Phelan, 
William  C.  Poole, 
Michael  Power, 
Edward  Prat, 


James  Quinn, 
John  Quinn, 
Patrick  S.  Rigney, 
John  J.  Riordan, 
John  B.  Salter, 
Francis  J.  Shadier, 
Charles  T.  Slevin, 
Eugene  Smyth, 
John  L.  Spalding, 
Patrick  W.  Tandy, 
Adam  Tonner, 
William  J.  Ward, 


Patrick  J.  Prendergast, 

Capuchin  Fathers,   Church  of   St.  John  the  Baptist, 
Capuchin  Fathers,  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows, 
Dominican  Fathers,  Church  of  St.  Vincent  Ferrer, 
Franciscan  Fathers,  Church  of  St.  Anthony, 
Franciscan  Fathers,  Church  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi, 
Jesuit  Fathers  of  St.  John's  College,  Fordham, 
Jesuit  Fathers,  Church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier, 
Jesuit  Fathers,  Church  of  St.  Lawrence, 
Redemptorist  Fathers,  Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer and  St.  Alphonsus, 
Fathers  of  Mercy  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul. 


VI. 

The  Subscribers  for  the  Stained  Glass  Windows  in 
the  New  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral. 

Right  Rev.  E.  P.  Wadhams,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 

Ogdensburg $1,200 

(Window,    The    Martyrdom   of    St.    Law- 
rence.) 
Joseph  Fischer,  New  York.     In  memory  of  his 
uncle,  William  Murtha,  of  Philadelphia. 

To  be  inscribed  "W.  M." 1,000 

(Window,     Jesus     Meeting     the     Disciples 
going  to  Emmaus.) 
Right  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 

Newark 1,000 

(Window  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.) 

Miss  Ann  Eliza  McLaughlin 1,000 

(Window,  The  Resurrection  of  Lazarus.) 
Right  Rev.  Bernard  McQuaid,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 

Rochester 2,200 

(For  Window,  $1,200.     Balance  for  Cathe- 
dral.    Window,  St.  Bernard.) 
Right  Rev.  Stephen  V.  Ryan,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 

Buffalo  1,000 

(Window,  Gift  of  the  Diocese  of  Buffalo 
through  Bishop  Ryan — The  Resurrec- 
tion of  Our  Lord.) 

John  Laden,  New  York 500 

(Window,  The  Sacrifice  of  Calvary.) 


APPENDIX  249 

Brother  Paulian,  Manhattan  College  of  the 

Christian  Brothers $1,000 

(Window,     Brothers     of     the     Christian 
Schools.) 
Messrs.    William    and    John    O'Brien,    New 

York 1,000 

(Window,  The  Annunciation.) 
Lorenzo  Delmonico,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Charles  Borromeo.) 
James  Olwell,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Vincent  de  Paul.) 
Bernard  Maguire,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Mark.) 
Dennis  J.  Dwyer,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Luke.) 
William  Joyce,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  John.) 
Andrew  Clarke,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Matthew.) 
Mrs.  Julia  Coleman,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  Madonna  and  Child.) 
James  McKenna,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  The  Three  Baptisms.) 
Miss  Mary  Caldwell,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  in  memory  of  her  First  Commun- 
ion— The  Communion  of  St.  John.) 
Miss  Lena  Caldwell,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  in  memory  of  her  parents — St. 
Augustine  and  St.  Monica.) 
Thomas  H.  O'Connor  and  Wife,  New  York. .   1,000 

(Window,    The    Adoration    of   the    Child 
Jesus.) 


250  APPENDIX 

Messrs.  Jeremiah  and  William  Devlin,  New 

York $1,000 

(Window,  in  memory  of  Daniel  Devlin — 
St.  Columbanus.) 

John  Kelly,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  Presentation  of  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin.) 

Eugene  Kelly,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  in  memory  of  Rev.  John  Kelly — 
St.  Paul.) 

Mrs.  Eleanor  Iselin,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  The  Sacred  Heart.) 

Henry  L.  Hoguet,  New  York 500 

(Window,  St.  Louis,  King  of  France.) 

Mrs.  Agnes  Maitland,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Agnes.) 
J.  A.  and  Elizabeth  O'Reilly,  New  York. . . .    1,000 
(Window,  St.  Elizabeth,  St.  Andrew,  and 
St.  Catherine.) 

Dr.  Henry  James  Anderson,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Henry.) 
Right  Rev.  John  Loughlin,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 

Brooklyn 1,000 

(Window,  gift  of  the  Diocese  of  Brook- 
lyn— The   Giving  of  the  Keys  to  St. 
Peter.) 
Messrs.   Charles  and  John   Johnston,   New 

York 1,000 

(Window,  The  Sacrifice  of  Abel.) 

Daniel  Murphy,  of  San  Francisco 1,000 

(Window,  The  Sacrifice  of  Abraham.) 

James  Renwick,  New  York 1,000 

(Window,  St.  Patrick.) 


APPENDIX  251 

Diocese  of  the  City  of  Albany $11,500 

(Chancel  Window,  The  Blessed  Virgin.) 
St.  Patrick's  Church,  City  of  New  York,  (Old 

Cathedral)   11,500 

(Chancel  Window,  St.  Patrick.) 
Joseph  F.  Loubat  : 

Window,  in  memory  of  Joseph  Alphonse 

Loubat — St.  Alphonsus  Liguori. 
Window,    in   memory    of    Theresa    Aimee 
Loubat,  Countess  of  Comminges  Gui- 
taut — St.  Theresa. 
Window,    St.    Susannah,   given   by    Susan 

Elizabeth  Loubat. 
Window,  Death  of  St.  Joseph. 
Windows  without  Donors: 
The  Sacrifice  of  Noe. 
The  Sacrifice  of  Melchisedech. 
The  Eating  of  the  Paschal  Lamb. 


VII. 
Church  Assessments  for 


Assessed 

Church  a  Year 

St.  Patrick's  (Old  Cathedral)  .  $5,000 

St.    Mary's 5,000 

St.    Stephen's 5,000 

St.   John  the   Evangelist's 5,000 

St.   Peter's 5,000 

St.   Francis   Xavier's 4,000 

St.    Brigid's 4,000 

St.  Teresa's 4,000 

St.  James' 4,000 

St.  Joseph's  (Sixth  Avenue).  4,000 
Immaculate  Conception, 

(East  Fourteenth    Street)..  4,000 

St.  Andrew's 3,000 

Transfiguration 3,000 

St.  Gabriel's 3,000 

Nativity    3,000 

Holy    Redeemer 3,000 

St.    Columba's 3,000 

St.    Michael's 3,000 

Holy    Cross 3,000 

St.  Ann's 2,000 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul 2,000 

Holy   Innocents 2,000 

St.  Paul  the  Apostle 2,000 

St.    Lawrence's 2,000 

Harlem    (St.    Paul's) 2,000 

St.  Alphonsus' 2,000 

St.   Anthony's 2,000 

St.   Francis  of  Assisi 2,000 

Rondout    (St.   Mary's) 2,000 

Annunciation 1,500 

Newburg    (St.    Patrick's) 1,500 

St.    Nicholas 1,000 

St.  John  the  Baptist 1,000 

St.    Boniface 1,000 

Morrisania    (St.    Augustine's)  1,000 

New  Brighton  (St.  Peter's)  .  .  1,000 

Poughkeepsie  (St.  Peter's) .  .  1,000 
Yonkers   (Immaculate 

Conception) 1,000 

Clifton ,  1,000 

St.    Vincent  Ferrer's 1,000 

Haverstraw 650 

New   Rochelle 650 

Port   Chester 650 

Port  Jervis 650 

Westchester 650 

Our   Lady  of  Sorrows 650 

Assumption 400 

Channingsville 400 

Cold  Spring 400 

Croton  Falls 400 


Paid, 

1867-68 

1869 

1870 

$6,006.09 

$5,608.00 

$4,137.00 

3,399.00 

3,831.50 

2,670.00 

5,000.00 

5,000.00 

5,000.00 

5,020.00 

5,156.36 

5,371.35 

6,500.00 

5,500.00 

4,500.00 

4,000.00 

4,000.00 

4,000.00 

4,000.00 

3,000.00 

4,000.00 

3,000.00 

3,000.00 

2,800.00 

2,011.58 

1,000.00 

4,000.00 

2,000.00 

2,000.00 

1,820.00 

3,388.64 

2,611.46 

3,000.00 

3,000.00 

6,000.00 

1,000.00 

1,291.75 

3,002.66 

3,000.00 

3,000.00 

3,279.00 

3,009.00 

3,164.36 

3,000.00 

1,500.00 

1,602.70 

560.00 

2,008.00 

1,982.00 

3,000.00 

5,000.00 

2,200.00 

3,187.00 

1,243.00 

1,781.00 

848.79 

904.90 

320.26 

2,000.00 

2,b'oo.bb 

2,666.'66 

1,200.00 

1,526.00 

1,100.00 

1,500.00 

896.75 

750.00 

800.00 

1,300.00 

1,285.75 

1,222.00 

1,000.00 

1,100.00 

925.50 

452.43 

500.00 

300.00 

425.00 

1,500.00 

1,500.00 

1,666.66 

1,291.79 

1,000.01 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

1,360.00 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

779.00 

787.20 

536.76 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

750.00 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

1,000.00 

500.00 

1,000.00 

500.00 

500.00 

500.00 
1,000.00 

650.66 

90.66 

300.00 

366.66 

150.00 

100.00 

65o'.66 

4o6'.66 

257.00 

250.00 

600.00 

213.50 

400.00 

500.00 

100.00 

350.00 

400.00 

375.00 

300.00 

150.00 

VII. 

the  New  Cathedral,  1867-1876. 

1871  1872  1873  1874  1875  1876 

$4,780.75  $5,079.25  $4,395.00  $2,500.00  $1,004.00  $1,000.00 

1,700.00  3,000.00  2,000.00  1,000.00  500.00  1,000.00 

5,000.00  5,000.00  5,000.00  1,500.00  1,500.00 

650.16  1,500.00  1,500.00     

4,500.00  5,500.00  3,500.00  1,500.00  1,500.00  1,500.00 

4,000.00  4,895.93  3,534.71  569.36  1,262.50  737.50 

3,000.00  3,000.00  3,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00 

3,000.00  3,000.00  3,000.00  500.00  

1,000.00  3,010.00  4,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00 

2,000.00  2,000.00  1,500.00  1,500.00  500.00  500.00 

3,000.00     1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00 

3,000.00  4,000.00     1,000.00  1,000.00 

321.21     500.00  500.00  500.00  500.00 

3,000.00  3,000.00  1,500.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00 

1,853.03  2,004.61  1,890.00  1,088.00  1,020.00  692.00 

1,397.30  1,601.60  1,206.00  719.08  416.84  505.61 

1,900.00  2,108.00  1,600.00  600.00  120.00  400.00 

2,300.00  3,200.00  1,900.00  900.00  1,000.00     

500.00  500.00  300.00  200.00  500.00  500.00 

1,811.50  1,977.40  2,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00 

501.30  545.58  496.20  500.00  500.00     

1,500.00  1,500.00  1,000.00  

3,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00     

1,000.00  1,000.00  1,200.00  500.00  200.00  500.00 

500.00  1,000.00  700.00  500.00  750.00  250.00 

1,100.00  1,000.00  500.00  500.00  500.00 

550.00  100.00  900.00  500.00  500.00 

1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  500.00  500.00  475.00 

410.00     200.00  500.00  500.00     

188.82  141.69  

700.00  1,000.00  250.00  500.00  151.59  100.00 

1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  500.00  500.00  500.00 

100.00  100.00 

1,000.00  500.00  250.00  500.00  100.00  100.00 

340.00  224.90  158.00  50.00  100.00     

1,250.00  250.00  100.00 

1,000.00  524.86  500.00  1,225.14  250.00  250.00 

1,000.00  500.00  250.00  

500.00  750.00  250.00  250.00     

1,000.00  900.00  500.00  1,000.00  1,000.00  1,000.00 

60.00     200.00  250.00  250.00  100.00 

200.00  300.00  

216.00  250.00  230.00  125.00  265.85  100.00 


100.00    105.75     100.00  100.00  50.00 

500.00    250.00  250.00 

400.00    400.00     100.00  100.00     

195.00    305.00    400.00  250.00  250.00  250.00 

50.00  50.00  50.00 

•30.00    50.00  50.00  25.00    


254  APPENDIX 


Assessed  Paid, 

Church  a  Year  1867-68  1869  1870 

Dobb's  Ferry $400  $400.00        $400.00        $400.00 

Ellenville 400  200.00  100.00 

Matteawan 400  203.00  73.50  

Our  Lady  of  Mercy 400  550.00  350.00  300.00 

Goshen 400  150.00 

Melrose 400  300.00  100.00  500.00 

Verplanck's  Point 400  40.16 

Piermont 400 

Rosendale 400 

Rossville 400 

Sing  Sing 400 

Tarrytown 400 

St.  Joseph's 
(One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
fifth    Street) 250 

Middletown 250 

Rhinecliff 250 

Saugerties 250 

Teffersonville 150 

Poughkeepsie    (Nativity) 150  16.00 

Obernburgh 150  70.00  60.00  60.00 

Rondout   (St.   Peter's) 150  145.00  125.00  30.00 

Peekskill 150  100.00  100.00 


400.00 

100.00 

120.42 

400.00 

200.00 

250.00 

339.10 

250.00 

250.00 

446.00 

36.00 

397.00 

400.00 

400.00 

400.00 

300.00 

250.00 

250.00 

100.00 

166.00 

134.00 

415.00 

325.00 

275.00 

APPENDIX 


255 


1871 
$400.00 

2oo!66 

300.00 

200.00 

300.00 

15.00 

61.00 

200.00 

300.00 

50.00 

400.00 


520.00 

100.00 

65.60 


37.97 


1872  1873 

$400.00  $400.00 

i66!66  2o6!66 

200.00  300.00 

200.00 

300.00  150.00 

i66!66  '.'.'.'.'.'. 

264.00  

251.00  

70.00  150.00 

400.00  

250.00  250.00 

250.66  25o!66 

!!!.'!!  i2o!66 

'.'.'.'.'.'.  *33!52 


1874 
$250.00 


50.00 

100.00 

50.00 

50.00 


100.00 

50.00 

100.00 


100.00 

i66!66 


50.00 


1875 
$250.00 


100.00 

166*66 


1876 

$250.00 


50.00  50.00 

100.00  100.00 

50.00  50.00 


50.00  50.00 

100.00  100.00 


50.00 
100.00 


100.00 


VIII. 
Archbishop  Hughes  to  Trustees. 

New  York,  May  10,  1857. 
To  the  Trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral. 
Gentlemen: — 

Your  secretary  communicated  to  me  in  a  brief  note, 
dated  6th  inst.,  the  substance  of  a  resolution,  unani- 
mously adopted,  increasing  the  amount  set  apart  for  the 
decent  maintenance  of  the  Archbishop. 

This  was  altogether  unexpected  and  unanticipated  on 
my  part.  I  knew  always  that  there  was  nothing  rea- 
sonable which  I  might  desire  that  you  would  not  have 
acceded  to.  But  as  I  have  never  felt  even  the  approach 
of  want — as  I  had  never  contracted  personal  debts  of 
any  kind,  and  had  found  myself  always  provided  with 
the  means  necessary  for  the  support  of  my  official 
dignity  in  a  high  proportion,  as  compared  with  the  gen- 
eral condition  of  our  Catholics  in  their  various  strug- 
gles to  promote  religion,  I  must  say  that  your  proceed- 
ing in  this  matter  has  taken  me  by  surprise. 

I  remember  well  that  in  days  of  deeper  struggle, 
your  predecessors  generously  offered  for  my  support  a 
larger  amount  than,  in  the  circumstance  of  the  times, 
either  my  judgment  or  my  conscience  would  allow  me 
to  accept.  Almighty  God,  in  His  great  and  kind  prov- 
idence, has  at  length  enabled  us  to  look  upon  the  dif- 
ficulties of  those  times  as  past  and  not  present. 

I  accept  therefore  willingly  the  additional  appropria- 
tion which  you  have  made.  The  manner  in  which  it 
has  been  made  is  more  gratifying  to  me  by  far  than 
the  increase  of  means  which  it  has  placed  at  my  dis- 


APPENDIX  257 

posal.  Among  the  laity  of  this  Diocese,  you  know  that 
you  have  always  enjoyed  my  special  confidence — that  I 
have  said  to  you,  on  every  occasion  as  it  arose,  things 
which  it  would  not  have  been  proper  perhaps  to  confide 
to  any  other  laymen.  You  and  your  predecessors  have 
always  been  just  and  true  and  loyal  to  me.  We  have 
struggled  together  hand  in  hand,  through  a  period  of,  I 
may  say  now,  twenty  years.  Within  that  time,  much 
has  been  accomplished ;  although  much,  perhaps,  more 
yet,  still  remains  to  be  done.  But  in  looking  back  it 
is  to  me  a  source  of  unspeakable  gratitude  and  personal 
gratification  that  there  has  never  been  the  slightest 
alienation  between  us  on  either  side.  You  have  at  all 
times  exhibited  that  true  discretion  which  becomes  truly 
Catholic  men,  placed  in  a  position  of  great  and  delicate 
responsibility.  You  have  never  thwarted  the  reason- 
able views  as  regards  temporal  matters  of  the  prelate 
placed  over  you.  And  were  I  to  die  to-morrow,  I  think 
you  would  all  be  prepared  to  say  with  a  good  conscience 
that  during  my  administration  I  have  never  lorded  it 
over  you  or  any  portion  of  my  flock.  I  do  not  disguise 
to  myself  that  on  more  than  one  occasion  during  the 
long  period  of  years  I  have  thought  myself  obliged  to 
act  in  certain  contingencies  in  a  prompt,  decided,  per- 
emptory, and  perhaps  apparently  harsh  manner,  toward 
other  portions  of  the  flock  committed  to  my  care.  But 
let  it  be  said  and  put  on  record  to  your  honor  and  to 
that  of  your  predecessors,  that  at  the  hands  of  the 
trustees  of  St. -Patrick's  Cathedral,  I  never  had  an  oc- 
casion or  even  a  pretext  for  exhibiting  or  exercising  the 
strength  of  a  will  which  duty  may  sometimes  call  into 
requisition  and  of  the  possession  of  which  in  my  own 
case  I  am  fully  conscious. 


258  APPENDIX 

You  know,  and  will  always  bear  testimony  that  I 
have  uniformly  given  way  to  your  better  judgment  in 
a  thousand  matters  appertaining  to  the  temporal  inter- 
ests of  the  Church  which  you  are  appointed  to  promote. 
You  know  that  in  our  deliberations  I  have  never  at- 
tempted to  carry  anything  by  the  force  of  my  position 
as  Bishop  or  Archbishop.  On  the  other  hand  I  can  at- 
test that  you  have  ever  yielded  your  own  opinions  in 
matters  in  which,  on  reflection,  you  had  reason  to  per- 
ceive that  I,  being  charged  with  the  spiritual  interests 
of  the  whole  Diocese,  had  taken  a  position  which  rec- 
ommended itself  to  your  approval.  You  know  that 
we  have  been  blamed  right  and  left  at  various  times, 
and  that  instead  of  shrinking  from  bearing  my  portion 
of  the  censure,  I  was  ready  to  accept  it  all,  feeling 
that  I  could  bear  it  alone  better  than  you  taken  all 
together.  The  Almighty  has  spared  us  all  long  enough 
to  see  that  our  people  are  now  grateful  for  some  of  the 
things  which  at  first  they  so  inconsiderately  condemned. 
This,  gentlemen,  though  not  much  by  itself,  should 
be  an  encouragement  to  you  to  persevere  in  the  other- 
wise thankless  task  of  giving  your  best  co-operation  to 
the  prelate  who  is  now,  or  who  may  be  hereafter  ap- 
pointed to  govern  the  Church  of  New  York.  There 
was  a  time  when  the  trustees  of  the  Catholic  churches 
in  this  city  were  surrounded  with  a  species  of  distinctive 
and  dangerous  popularity.  That  time  is  gone,  it  has 
been  gone  for  years,  and  I  know  that  jt  is  to  promote 
the  glory  of  God,  the  welfare  of  your  Catholic  brethren, 
the  peace  and  harmony  of  our  great  and  growing,  I  had 
almost  said  Catholic,  city,  that  you  have  made  so  many 
sacrifices  of  your  time,  of  your  repose,  and  that  you 


APPENDIX  259 

have  toiled  on  so  faithfully  in  aiding  to  carry  out  the 
great  work  in  which  we  are  all  engaged. 

An  expression  of  this  kind  has  hardly  ever  escaped 
my  lips  in  your  regard,  but  the  sentiment  has  always 
been  in  my  heart. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  say  to  you  to  persevere,  reck- 
less of  any  human  popularity,  but  with  the  view  to 
please  God  and  to  contribute  to  the  promotion  of  His 
glory  on  the  earth.  The  feeling  which  has  prompted 
you  to  pass  the  resolution  alluded  to  in  the  commence- 
ment of  this  communication  is  the  most  gratifying  in- 
cident of  my  episcopal  administration — much  more  than 
any  amount  which  could  be  set  apart  for  my  mainten- 
ance. In  the  retrospect  of  many  years,  it  is  additionally 
gratifying  that  I  have  never  witnessed  the  slightest 
evidence  of  unkindness  or  of  disrespect.  And  if  I  have 
been  at  any  time  wanting  in  corresponding  feelings 
toward  you  it  has  entirely  escaped  my  memory.  But 
whether  or  not,  I  know  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to 
have  intended  it.  I  have  the  honor  to  remain, 
Gentlemen, 

With  great  respect, 

Your  most  obedient  servant,  and  father  in  Christ, 
*i*  John, 

Archbishop  of  New  York. 

P.S. — I  would  wish  this  letter  to  be  enrolled  on  your 
minutes,  so  that  future  generations  may  see  how  it  was 
between  the  clergy  and  the  laity  of  the  Metropolitan 
See  of  New  York  in  the  year  1857.  It  may  prove  to 
them  a  lesson  of  edification. 

Hh  J.,  Archbishop. 


IX. 


Trustees  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral, 
1817=1908. 


Thomas  Stoughton, 
Andrew  Morris, 
Benjamin  Disaubry, 
Michael  Bannan, 
David  Atkinson, 
James  R.  Mullany, 
Thomas  Glover, 
Anthony  Duff, 
Joseph  Idley, 
Dennis  Doyle, 
Peter  Harmony, 
John  Heffernan, 
Joseph  Lametti, 
Denis  McCarthy, 
Garrett  Byrne, 
Edward  P.  Brady, 
Francis  Cooper, 
John  G.  Gettsberger, 
Robert  Fox, 
Hugh  Sweeny, 
Thomas  Mooney, 
William  Clancy, 
Henry  Egglesoe, 
Bernard  O'Connor, 
Cornelius  Heeney, 
James  Matthews, 
George  Jacobs, 


Darby  Noon, 
George  Bowen, 
John  Murray, 
George  Pardon, 
John  Doyle, 
Charles  McCormick, 
Samuel  H.  Smith, 
John  S.  Timmins, 
John  Ridden, 
Denis  Scally, 
Peter  Duffy, 
B.  Lamont, 
James  Shea, 
William  MacNeven, 
Bernard  Dunn, 
Tighe  Davey, 
Charles  F.  Grim, 
William  Foley, 
John  McNulty, 
Peter  McLoughlin, 
Hugh  Kelly, 
William  Flynn, 
Daniel  Geary, 
Peter  Smith, 
Thomas  Ryan, 
Andrew  Carrigan, 
Edward  Murray, 


APPENDIX 


261 


William  O'Connor, 
Nicholas  Moran, 
Charles  O'Connor, 
James  A.  O'Reilly, 
Daniel  Major, 
John  McMenomy, 
Terence  Duffy, 
John  Mullen, 
Peter  O'Connor, 
William  O'Reilly, 
Nicholas  Kane, 
Peter  A.  Hargous, 
Terence  Donnelly, 
John  A.  Timmins, 
James  A.  O'Reilly, 
Peter  Duffy, 
James  Fagan, 
John  K.  Bowen, 
John  McCahill, 
John  Darby, 
Edward  Mullen, 
Daniel  O'Connor, 
Dines  Carolin, 
Nicholas  S.  Donnelly, 
Michael  Burke, 
James  Leary, 
Bartholomew  O'Connor, 
Michael  J.  O'Donnell, 
Bartlett  Smith, 
Francis  A.  Kipp, 
Patrick  Dolan, 
George  Hecker, 
Louis  Binsse, 


Henry  L.  Hoguet, 
Walter  Magee, 
John  Madden, 
Charles  Kane, 
Donatien  Binsse, 
William  O'Brien, 
Patrick  McCormick, 
Michael  J.  O'Donnell, 
James  O'Brien, 
Robert  J.  Dillon, 
James  Lynch, 
Joseph  P.  Quinn, 
Patrick  Trainor, 
James  O'Rourke,  M.D. 
Edward  McCoy, 
John  McKeon, 
James  Scott, 
John  W.  McKinley, 
Matthew  J.  O'Connell, 
Patrick  Hagan, 
John  Kelly, 
Patrick  Lynch, 
John  Hagan, 
Edward  Fanning, 
Michael  O'Keeffe, 
Timothy  O'Donoghoe, 
John  Hayes, 
Michael  Hogan,  M.D., 
John  Haggerty, 
Hugh  Moore, 
Andrew  Martin, 
Leopold  de  Grand  Val, 
George  B.  Coleman, 


262 


APPENDIX 


James  Murphy, 
William  Lummis, 
John  Johnston, 
Jeremiah  Devlin, 
Edward  Flanagan, 
James  Lynch, 
J.  Rhinelander  Dillon, 
Eugene  Kelly, 
John  D.  Crimmins, 
John  B.  Manning, 
Francis  O'Neill, 
Joseph  J.  O'Donohue, 
Adrian  Iselin,  Jr., 
Patrick  C.  Meehan, 
James  S.  Coleman, 
Joseph  J.  O'Donohue,  Jr. 
William  R.  Grace, 
James  D.  Lynch, 
John  McAnerney, 
Thomas  H.  Kelly, 
Joseph  Dillon, 
Henry  Amy, 

Eugene 


Morgan  J.  O'Brien, 
Myles  Tierney, 
Hugh  Kelly, 
John  G.  Agar, 
Frederick  R.  Coudert, 
Edward  L.  Keyes,  M.D., 
John  Hayes, 
Cornelius  O'Reilly, 
John  A.  Sullivan, 
Thomas  L.  Feitner, 
Thomas  J.  Keveney, 
John  A.  McCreery,  M.D., 
James  Devlin, 
Hon.  Hugh  J.  Grant, 
Stephen  J.  Geoghegan, 
James  Ross  Curran, 
John  F.  O'Rourke, 
John  Fox, 
James  A.  Farley, 
William  F.  Sheehan, 
Thomas  F.  Ryan, 
Louis  H.  Amy, 
A.  Philbin. 


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